Blood and Lust
by ItIsMeJessie
Summary: Sanji suddenly woke up after their encounter with Kuma and all he could remember was how Zoro sacrificed himself for the rest of the crew. He looked around him looking for any sign of that stupid Marimo and Sanji's heart almost broke into two when he finally saw the Marimo covered with his own blood. (cover photo from tumblr/livejournal/deviantart and is not mine)
1. The End

I have no idea how this story will move and morph, but comments and suggestions are so welcome.

* * *

"In exchange for Luffy's life, I'll give mine," Zoro said indignantly and with conviction, "He's going to be the Pirate King!"

Zoro stared at the Shichibukai in front of him. He was afraid but it was not for himself. He was afraid for his crew mates. Hell, he was afraid for the people that he loved and cared about.

"Oi, wait shithead!" Sanji growled, walking towards him and Kuma. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, stupid?!"

The cook's eyes were shining with anger. Zoro could only stare at the form of the man as he walked near him. "What the-?"

Sanji put himself in between him and Kuma, and he could not even fucking stand up! His body was cursing him and Sanji tried to talk him and Kuma out of the mess that he had put himself into. The stupid cook was showing every ounce of stupidity. He was in here trying his best to save the entire crew - even this shitty cook - and he was going to sacrifice himself, too?!

Zoro didn't know why, but Sanji was shaking. Maybe it was fear. Or maybe it was about being tired since they had been fighting for so long. But he did not want to see Sanji hurt or any of their nakama for that matter. He glanced at Luffy's body laying on the ground and his mind was set. He'd sacrifice himself. No one, and he meant no one, would stand in his way.

Breaking his thoughts, he heard Sanji speak, "Take care of the others." Sanji had his back in front of him and was looking at the Shichibukai, or Pacifista, whatever the hell he wanted to call himself, "Sorry, I-,"

All Zoro could do was take one of his swords and jab its hilt on Sanji's side. The fuck was this cook thinking?! Zoro heard a small grunt from Sanji, catching him off guard.

"What the fuck?!" Sanji turned, holding Zoro's shoulder for support.

 _I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I can't... I can't see anyone of you hurt. I don't want to see you hurt, Sanji._

Sanji fell to the ground, unconscious. Better than dying. Zoro huffed as he stood his ground and faced Kuma once more, determination painting his face. He grabbed his swords and tossed them aside as he gathered all his strength and will.

This was it. It's the end of him. All he had to think of was the safety of his crew mates. Luffy, with his bouncing energy; Usopp, with his hidden courage; Nami, with her knowledge in navigation, knowing that they would be able to leave this hell; Robin, with her immense knowledge in all things possible; Chopper, with his skills as a doctor; Franky, with his inventions and being one of the best shipwrights; Brook, well, he didn't know much about the skeleton yet, but his bet was that he can handle being one with the swords once he left; and Sanji. Sanji. Damn, I don't know how I can part with him, but... He's the only person that can and can't understand me.

The Shichibukai picked up Luffy then placed his palm on the rubber captain and pushed something like air out of their captain and a huge red paw balloon came out slowly. The balloon floated in front of Zoro as Kuma spoke, "I will spare him, but not before you take his place by experiencing all of the pain he has endured."

Swiping the air, a small red ball from the balloon that was conjured flew towards Zoro and entered his body. At first there was nothing, then there was everything. The pain was excruciating. It was nothing compared to the hurt that he got when Mihawk sliced him almost into two. It was nothing compared to all the kicks that he received from Sanji. It was all of the hurt and anguish that Luffy had received from Moriah.

It attacked Zoro from the inside and he pushed everything in his power to endure the pain. He grit his teeth as the waves of power pulsed inside him, breaking him into pieces inside and out. Finally, he could no longer hold his stance, he screamed his lungs out as he fell down on the pavement. Blood slowly trickled from his mouth, but he ignored it.

"Can you still handle it?" Kuma asked, his face passive.

Not one to back down, Zoro stood up, ignoring the ache that was welling in him. He huffed, his breathing getting faster as pain emancipated within him. He was ready. He was going to face the consequences.

Then at the speed of light, the balloon came and went.

 **TBC**


	2. That Night

_Smoke, rubble and filth covered the entire place. There was little wind to even blow away the suffocating air that arose. Sanji stirred, hearing voices near him. It sounded like they were cheering. He groaned and slowly stood up. Suddenly, everything that happened before he lost consciousness came back to him. All he could remember was how Zoro sacrificed himself for the rest of the crew. He had no idea what had happened. He did have an idea, sort of, but he was not really sure._

 _He immediately stood up and looked around him. He could see that Luffy, Robin, Chopper, Usopp, Robin, Franky, and Nami were having the fun time of their lives as they watched Luffy dance around as if nothing had happened to him. And as his eyes scanned the area, he found the three katanas without their owner._

 _ **What the fuck? Where the heck is that shitty swordsman?**_

 _He ran away from where he was and slipped away from the eyes of his crew mates. The faster he sees Zoro, the better._

 _It took only a few minutes before he found a broken swordsman in the middle of an isolated area. He saw Zoro covered in blood. Not only a speck or a handful, but it was like a bucket of blood was thrown onto the man, covering his white shirt and haramaki with the red substance._

 _He tried to stop the bubble of hurt that was trying to come up in his chest. When he reached Zoro, he asked, "What- what happened to Kuma? Or whatever or whoever he is?"_

 _Silence answered him._

 _ **What happened Zoro? Why are you covered in blood? Please. Tell me.**_

 _He tried again. "Oi, Marimo, what happened to you?" He tried to make his voice as steady as he could but he was breaking. He didn't - couldn't understand what he was feeling at that certain moment but it didn't matter. At least, for now, it didn't. He'd deal with it later._

 _"Nothing." Zoro answered, his arms crossed on his chest, struggling to hold his stance._

[-]

His lungs were constricted as if a hand was clutching at his chest, gripping tight - slowly putting pressure on it until... Shit. He didn't know what he was really feeling. He was bothered, scared, and hurt. Yes, hurt. He knew that he could have at least helped the Marimo avoid the scars and blood that he received and lost during his battle with Kuma. But he didn't. Fuck. Zoro was being patched up by Chopper and here he was, smoking his second pack of cigarettes.

He ran his free hand through his hair as he stared at the empty hall, wondering what could have happened if he had helped Zoro. Sounds around them were getting lively but it did not matter to him at that moment.

Nothing mattered - would ever matter - to him until Zoro woke up. He could only think of was how he failed: failed to save the crew; to save Zoro from the strength of the Shichibukai.

He tried to forget about Zoro for a moment since he had two crews to feed. He went aboard Sunny and slipped into more comfortable clothes before he went to the galley. He distracted himself with creating food which always calmed him down.

As he waited for the food to get cooked, he went out and helped the others carry things that were needed for the feast that their rubbery captain wanted. Of course, being able to defeat Moriah and get their shadows back, it was a good time to celebrate. But he suddenly became melancholic. Zoro... He would not be able to drink his sake today; not be able to eat the food that he would be serving.

Fuck. This is just pretty fucked up. Why am I still thinking about that bastard?!

"SANJI! Food!" Luffy shouted.

"Quit your shouting. Get some cheese and that's all I can give you until the food's done."

Usopp goggled at his captain as the rubbery arms held two or more huge slices of cheese, "I don't understand. How can he stand up and eat merrily when he almost died!" He spoke softly, but Sanji could hear the sniper.

He's right. Whatever happened to Luffy that caused him to be energetic like this again is because of him.

Sanji almost dropped the pots and pans that he was carrying when Lola talked to him. He was too engrossed with his thoughts about Zoro and Luffy's changes that he didn't even see the girl pirate.

The conversation he had with the girl passed in a blur. He was only half listening to what she was saying, his eyes staring far away, but not to the extent that he was being rude. It was still a girl that he was talking to of course.

After some time, every one of them went back to check on the people that got hurt along the way. They fixed things up as well, getting ready for lunch.

Sanji looked around and saw that Zoro had been patched up well by Chopper. Good. Then he heard the others asking what had happened.

Two of the Rolling Pirates suddenly spoke, saying that they had seen what had happened to Zoro.

Hearing this, Sanji not so subtly dragged the pirates outside to talk to them without letting anyone listen to their story.

He sat down on a huge chunk of rubble and took a drag from his cigarette. "Tell me what happened. After I fainted."

As the pirates spoke to Sanji, he gave his cigarette long drags to soothe his entire system that was screaming to run back and take Zoro into the boys' cabin.

Damn that Marimo. Why did he have to hurt himself? He would have died in the process of saving them; of saving Luffy. But... God, he was strong. He's still alive and breathing. Though, in pieces.

After hearing what had happened, he asked the two pirates to keep their mouths shut. Or else he would shove their tongues with his foot down their stomachs.

His eyebrows twitched as he growled, low as a tiger, "Never tell this to Luffy or to anyone. You hear me? He didn't sacrifice himself just to be praised."

The pirates whimpered. They really wanted to tell the others of Zoro and his - or almost - sacrifice for the crew.

[-]

The feast was not unplanned. Sure, pirates loved the festivities, whatever the reason was. It was noisy and filled with vigor and happiness. Every pirate in the room gobbled up all the food in front of them.

Luffy and the others were enjoying the company of the other pirates, but he couldn't stay there. He couldn't smile genuinely and have fun while Zoro was laying down and being watched by Chopper and Nami.

He stirred the broth that he was making, checking to see whether it was already good enough to put the ingredients that he needed for the soup as he fought mentally with himself.

His conscience would kill him if he had fun. He wouldn't like it if Zoro enjoyed himself if their roles were reversed. Whoa, wait... Why the fuck did he not want the shithead to have fun if their roles were reversed?!

What did he care about the swordsman? Sure, he was his nakama. They fought together in battles and they even almost had the same wavelength. But they also fought with each other which geared him and gave him something to look forward to the next day.

Sanji's heart thumped loudly against his ribcage. Damn, he did look forward to their fights. He liked the way the Marimo riled him up. He was the best sparring partner in the entire crew.

Fuck, Marimo. Wake up already.

He paced around the galley as he thought. He already finished his cigarette and after lighting up another one, he heard a soft piece of music wafting in the air. Someone was playing the piano.

After double checking the broth, he decided to go back to the festivities and watch.

[-]

That night was unbearable. He could not sleep. He tossed and turned in his bunk only to finally decide to go to the infirmary to check on Chopper. Yes, he thought, I'm going to check on Chopper and not the moss-head. Fixing his slippers, he sneaked out of the boys' cabin and headed towards the infirmary.

Chopper had decided earlier that Zoro needed to be moved in order for him to take care of the swordsman properly without the fuss of their rubbery captain. Luffy tried to give Zoro a full keg of beer earlier to which he almost had a problem convincing their captain that Zoro couldn't drink yet. Luffy apparently thought that beer would serve as medicine to the swordsman.

Walking to the infirmary took him ages. Sanji was on autopilot and when he was already facing the door, his insides churned. What the hell is wrong with me?

Pushing through his resolve, he entered the infirmary, isopropyl alcohol, and other medicinal odors, bursting in his nose. It was suffocating to him, one of the reasons that he didn't want to stay there whenever Chopper treated him.

Shit. I feel such a creep!

The room was dark except for the little illumination from the moonlight coming from the small window in the corner. He could see the features of Zoro in the bed; half of his face was shadowed but Sanji could see the softness of it. Far from the injuries that he had suffered.

As he closed in on the moss-head, he could see that Zoro's eyes were open. Chopper's sleeping body hunched on the foot of the bed. Not wanting to get on the bad side of the swordsman, he turned around and was about to get out of the room when he heard a grunt.

"What are you doing here?" Zoro's voice was quiet and it lacked the menace that he was used to hearing.

Still not turning around, Sanji replied, "Just checking on Chopper."

"Huh," Zoro huffed. "You can take him with you. He needs sleep."

"So you can take off your bandages and pretend that nothing happened?" Sanji gritted his teeth. Anger welling inside him.

"You can stay with me if you want after sending Chopper to the cabin."

Zoro's voice was so little that he almost did not hear the swordsman.

Sanji turned around and looked at Zoro. "Why?"

He needed to know why. Whatever he wanted to know. Or whatever he wanted to hear from the moss-head. His heart was now like a bird trapped in its cage, jumping around.

Zoro didn't speak. The vagueness in his request was apparent. Sanji still didn't understand how the moss-head's brain worked, but he was not going to start a fight. Not tonight. Not yet.

He shuffled to his feet and went to Chopper. The small doctor was light and was easy to carry. As he shifted the doctor's body in his arms and shoulder, Sanji spoke in a hushed tone, "I'll be back."

Now that he did not have to pretend that he was checking in on Zoro, though he was still light-headed on Zoro's request, he felt much better. After all, he did not have to lie to himself that he was thinking about Chopper instead of the swordsman.

[-]

"Let's go back to my question, Marimo." Sanji said as he closed the door of the infirmary. His hands itched on wanting to light up a cigarette. The only place that he was not allowed to smoke was Chopper's infirmary. He did not want their doctor to piss his pants knowing that he smoked in there so, even though he wanted to, he didn't. "Why?"

Zoro laid still, his head facing the window looking at who knows where. "Why what?"

Sanji sat down on the foot of the bed where Chopper formerly slept, his eyes searching the swordsman. He'd start at the basics. He did not want to force Zoro to tell him what had happened between him and Kuma. "Why did you want me to stay here?"

His voice choked. He cleared his throat afterwards. He did not want to show any signs of weakness to the moss-head. "What happened out there is your business. I don't want to force you to tell me what happened. Well, not yet. For now, I want you to tell me why you're letting me stay here."

Zoro still kept silent. Sanji ran his hand through his hair. He was getting frustrated. He was used to the bickering and fighting with Zoro that he could not stand the silent treatment that he was receiving.

He was about to give up and just forget about the one-sided conversation that he was having with the wind when Zoro ended his silence. "I just want you to stay. Is there anything wrong with that?"

Sanji choked on his spit. What was wrong with the moss-head? "It's not wrong, Zoro. It's weird. I can't," he gestured at the two of them, "understand this. Us, talking without fighting or throwing anything."

He could see that Zoro was contemplating what he had said. Zoro shifted a bit. He was now looking at him. His eyes were boring into him that he wanted to run and never go back. He could not understand the meaning behind the look, but it was… something.

"Do you really hate me that much?"

Sanji's eyes widened with the suggestion. Did he hate the swordsman? No. In fact, he just admitted to himself that he enjoyed being with the Marimo. Did he want what they have at the moment? Yes and no. He did not want to get killed by Chopper if he ever cut Zoro's stitches with fighting, but he was still apprehensive with their status at the moment.

"No. But you're being creepy now," Sanji confessed.

oro laughed lacking mirth. "You're weirder, though. Look at those creepy swirls that you call eyebrows."

"Fuck you!" Sanji said, laughing inside. This was his Marimo. What? Wait! When did he ever own Zoro?

Silence once again fell before them. It wasn't stiff like earlier, but it still was awkward. Sanji looked at the half-moon that was peeking in the window and smiled. He never knew that silence with Zoro could be… a little romantic. Shit! Not romantic. Anything but that!

"Sanji."

He immediately turned to the swordsman. It was the first time that he heard his name from those lips that he really had to stop himself from jumping up and down from his giddiness. At least, he now knew that Zoro knew his name. "Hm?"

"What would you do if I told you that I like you?"

 **TBC**


	3. Ocean Eyes

**"What would you do if I told you that I like you?"**

Zoro's courage was like a rock; his determination, like a steel. But right now, looking at Sanji's face in the dimly lit room, everything went tumbling down.

Sanji's response was immediate. First, there was confusion. Then, there was understanding. Finally, a horrific realization. Sanji's face suddenly contorted into aghast and fury.

"What the fuck?!" Sanji said, stiff and tight jawed as he stood up, the bed creaking loudly. His face was red in fury, and maybe from embarrassment which Zoro thought was the first one.

Zoro could only frown at the darkness as the cook turned away and left, the door banging in his wake.

 _So much for being concerned._

He looked back at the moon that was now covered by mist and clouds. Of course, Sanji would reject him. That was the reason why he asked the cook first. He didn't know that the cook would immediately understand what he was trying to say.

That was a crushing blow to his ego. The pain was harsh and bitter than what he had undertaken from the Shichibukai's power. It was harsher than the pain that Luffy received from all of his fights collectively; even from his fight against Mihawk. It was worse than the death of Kuina. It was as if his heart just burst into pieces, after it was ripped from its container, while being trampled upon.

His chest may be covered with bandages; however, it was not enough to remove the excruciating pain that was flowing within him right at that time. He might as well be battered and bruised, and covered with wounds and flaunt them.

This night would be the longest and darkest that he would ever have in his entire existence. Thankfully, he already made up his mind that once Sanji rejected him, he would forget what he felt. Setting his resolve in stone, he decided that he would wash away his feelings through workouts and training.

The following morning, Chopper released Zoro from his custody. He was advised that he shouldn't workout too much yet. He was also given painkillers to ease the pain whenever they throb. According to Chopper, he must be careful because he might get an infection if he treated his cuts lightly. There might be an instance that the inner wounds would inflame as well.

Zoro grunted and nodded to let the doctor know that he was listening. He did not want to acknowledge all of what Chopper had said because he knew that he was going to disobey most of them.

Zoro was not one to show his emotional turmoil. He trained himself to be strong physically and emotionally, but during his six hundred reps, he was becoming dizzy and tired. He dropped the weights that he was using and slumped down on the floor. Sweat trickled his temple down to his naked torso. He was breathing heavily as he closed his eyes, leaning his head on the wall behind him. The bottle of water that he brought earlier was now gone and he was in need of a refill.

He avoided the cook as much as he could. During lunchtime, he often averted his gaze to Usopp and Franky, who were talking about gears and mechanical stuff. He was not interested in the topic, but it was better than staring at his plate. When he was done, he immediately picked up his plate and put it in the wash and hurried to the crow's nest with only one bottle of water. Chopper's frantic outbursts were drowned as he hastily closed the galley door behind him.

Now, he had no choice but to probably see the shit-cook or worse, to be confronted by the said cook. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought of ways to avoid the conversation about his stupid confession.

[-]

Just what he had thought, Sanji was in the galley. The cook was seemingly busy in chopping meat that he did not look up when Zoro came in. He went to the cooler to get two bottles of water, and maybe a couple or more of the bottled beers which, he remembered Chopper's warning, he was not allowed to drink as of the moment.

"No beer."

Zoro was startled to hear the cook's voice that he almost dropped the bottles of water that he was holding as he rummaged for the liquor. "What?"

"I said, no beer, stupid Marimo."

Zoro glanced at Sanji. The cook was still chopping the meat and was not looking at him. He inwardly sighed, thanking all the gods that the cook was not talking about what had happened between them last night. At least he could pretend that it didn't happen.

"Where's the beer, cook?" He said gruffly.

"You're not allowed. Didn't Chopper tell you that?"

Placing the utensils that he was using carefully down on the table, Sanji finally looked at him. The deep ocean blue of the cook's eyes was piercing his own. "You're not allowed to drink until Chopper says so." Sanji crossed his arms on his chest as he waited for Zoro to drop the subject of the liquor.

"What the hell do you care?" Zoro retorted, joining Sanji in his staring contest.

The blue orbs were slowly shattering him; unnerving him, but he was not backing down.

"When did you ever listen to Chopper's advice?" Zoro raised his eyebrow as he spoke.

"Huh," Sanji grinned, "You got me there."

Sanji's smile was making him melt like an ice cream as the rays of the sun hit it directly. Zoro wanted to give in to the temptation and just bite Sanji's lips, but because of what had happened, he just contained all of his feelings and smiled back.

"Still, no beer. I don't know what Chopper would do to me if I gave you even a drop."

"Whatever, shit-cook."

Zoro walked away, his heart still fluttering like a love sick bird. Only time could tell whether his feelings for the cook would wear out, or not. He had to keep his cool or else, he would break down, one way or another.

[-]

His hands were behind his back, and eyes closed as he laid in the crow's nest that night. He was in charge of the lookout and it calmed his nerves down. The breeze was cool and welcoming as it passed through the open windows.

The sky was colored with hues of dark blue and indigo. Even though Zoro did not glance at the heavens, he knew that it was beautiful just like every night. It was often like that whenever they sailed in the seas at nighttime.

Their course was set already, the log pose had locked and it was to the Fishmen that they were sailing. Thriller Bark was a memory already. It was as if nothing had happened. Well, that was often the case with them. When something's done, they were ready to let it go and set it aside.

They had one more person in their crew as well, but in this case, it was more of bones than flesh. Luffy made it sure that Brook was going to be a part of their crew and they all had no say to the captain's orders. It was a good thing for him too. He at least had someone who he could talk about fighting with swords even though the skeleton preferred using a fencing sword.

Zoro grinned at the dark. I lived. I fucking lived that shit of a battle. He cheered for himself; realization finally hit him. That was the best fight for him, not that he literally fought, but his body and resolve fought for his body to live. His dream was stronger than that of failing and dying. That was maybe why he was branded as a demon swordsman.

Moments later, he was in the middle of dozing off when he heard footsteps coming up. He was sure that it was Chopper to check on him that he did not move an inch from his position. He was thorough with most of the little doctor's advice - minus the workouts and training - that he did not really bother moving.

That was when the smell of cigarettes hit him. He always associated the smell with the cook and because he did not anticipate that the cook was going up the crow's nest, he tried to play it cool, pretending that he was sleeping.

Sanji opened the door to the crow's nest with impossible silence. The only sound that Zoro could hear were the creaking of some wood planks that were in need of replacement. The cook even had the decency of shutting the door before he settled in the middle of the room, inches away from his _sleeping_ body.

"I know you're awake. Don't pretend that you're not because your breathing already betrayed you."

Damn that insufferable prick. What did he want now? He grunted to show that the cook caught him in his charade; however, he did not open his eyes or move his body. He preferred it that way since he was only minutes away from the dreamland.

"When?" The voice of the cook hitched as he spoke the word as if it was too long for him to utter.

Zoro opened his eyes and let it settle in the dusky room. "I don't know. It just happened."

"For how long already?"

Sanji's 20 questions were irritating, but at least he wasn't not ignoring him as a person; however, he could sense that the cook was puffing too much smoke from his cigarette like a chimney.

"Oi, cook, enough with the smoke effects. We're both going to die from your cancerous stick."

The cook was jittery; he could tell. He never smoked too much when he was calm. Sanji smoked a pack when he was agitated, two packs before a fight or after a fight, and sometimes, none at all when he was untroubled.

When the smoke the cook was emitting lessened, Zoro answered softly, "A while."

"Why?"

 _He's not doing this to torment me, right? Because if he was, I would kill him right now._

"Because you're strong and determined."

 _And because you have beautiful eyes like the ocean._

"May I sit down?" Sanji asked, his tone uncertain.

Zoro grunted to acknowledge the request. He moved over a little to give space to the cook who chose to sit near him. He stiffened when he felt Sanji's knee brushed his as the cook settled down on his left.

"I don't know why, but I'm always drawn to you," Sanji whispered. "I never thought about it before. But," he stopped to collect his thoughts, "when I saw you wanting to sacrifice yourself for Luffy, I just could not let you."

 **TBC**


	4. When All I Want Is You

I could not look directly at Zoro. Not after I rejected him harshly. It's not something to be proud of.

In the room, where the light was feeble, his peripheral vision could catch a glimpse of Zoro's tender features. He was vulnerable now, letting him know how much he liked Sanji. He never really noticed how much Zoro had changed from when they first met.

The swordsman's snarky attitude lessened a bit and they didn't fight that much anymore. Usually, he would even catch himself watching the swordsman during meals. He didn't understand it at first and this often caused him to be irritable at the man, not really knowing why.

A whirlwind of emotions were pulsating in him as he showed the swordsman his own weakness. He did not know why, but he could sense that Zoro would understand his apprehension. Doubt and fear were seeping in, gradually eating his insides. He had to tell Zoro what was going on in him.

"I like you, too," Sanji started, "but before you jump into conclusions, I have to warn you that I'm not yet ready."

Zoro looked at him for the first time since he went up the crow's nest. His earrings jingling softly in his sudden movement. The deep chocolate brown eyes searched his, looking for something unknown to him.

"What do you mean?" Zoro murmured.

"I'm a man goddamnit! I have no experience in this kind of shit!" Sanji explained, a little roughly than he intended.

"I'm a man," Zoro retorted, his hands moving to his knees, leaning.

"You know what I mean, shithead!" Sanji stood up, his hands becoming animated.

Zoro's eyes darkened. "No, I don't."

When Zoro started to confess to him that night, his heart hammered so fast that he couldn't breathe; his belly started to churn. It scared the shit out of him.

All his secrets that he tried hard to hide; all of the memories that he immolated came bubbling up. However, he unexpectedly became happy when Zoro told him that he liked him. It was like he didn't have to hide in the shadows of his past anymore. But, because he was embarrassed of what had happened in his childhood, he fled.

Tears came pouring down, but he could not stop them; not that he wanted to. "I- I didn't want to hurt you. I was really happy when you asked me then."

Zoro stood up as well. A hand touched his shaking shoulder. "It's okay. You don't have to force yourself."

[-]

The next few weeks passed by in a flash. They found a routine that was suitable for both of them. Sanji kept himself sane by cooking and making sure that the crew was fed properly. Zoro continued to train, albeit, Chopper still insisted that he should abstain until the doctor just got fed up and just let him do whatever he wanted.

"Don't come running to me when you get infections!" the doctor squeaked.

Zoro laughed it off, Sanji heard the swordsman's deep, hearty laugh outside the galley, maybe thinking that Chopper was a total worry wart.

Then, there were the nights. Their nights together. It started off as a playful banter then ended up into a joyful spar. It ignited the warrior within them, and it kept them alive. Zoro with his katanas and Sanji with his footwork. Since then, they made it a point that before they hit the hay, they would at least have a spar.

The clashing of Zoro's katanas against the soles of Sanji's shoes was like music to his ears; it was as if they belonged together. To fight against each other and even to fight alongside each other. It wasn't romantic yet, but it wasn't platonic either.

He was thankful that Zoro did not pressure him into telling him what was wrong with him. This made their relationship as nakama evolve into something deeper, and it wasn't forced either.

Everything went smoothly. The others did not notice what was happening between them. It was that way for Sanji until one time after lunch, as the others slowly drifted and went to whatever they usually did after lunch, his precious Robin lingered in the galley.

Robin's dark eyes twinkled in amusement in which Sanji was not sure about. "Sanji, I can wash the dishes for you today."

"No, my darling, I can do it." Sanji swooned, hearts literally formed in his eyes.

"Okay, Sanji. Is it okay if I stay here then?" Robin asked, sitting down at the table, producing a book.

Sanji could not deny a kind of request like that from their historian. "Oh, you're always welcome, my dear!"

As he methodically washed the dishes, Robin stated out of the blue, "You and the swordsman seemed to have hit it off."

Sanji, caught off guard, was stunned. "What do you mean, my Robin?"

"I mean," Robin smiled knowingly, "that you and the swordsman seems to be closer than before."

Sanji's eyes widened. "I don't understand." He wanted to lie, but he couldn't. He wouldn't dare lie to the raven-haired woman.

As Robin turned a page, Sanji reflected, looking away. They said, whoever they were, that actions speak louder than words. Maybe that was why Robin, who was the wittiest of the bunch, noticed something.

The ends of Sanji's hair at the nape of his neck stood up at Robin's dark and glorious eyes that sparkled in mischievousness. It was like his soul was being scanned to see if there were any secrets to be revealed. He shivered inwardly before he replied, "I'm not sure what you're talking about. Zoro and I are…" he stilled.

What were they actually? Friends? Sure, they were friends, but then again, Zoro confessed to him and he even told him that he liked him too. So, what's their relationship? He had no idea, and they hadn't even talked about it after that night. Everything seemed hazy.

Sanji was about to continue when the door of the galley blast opened. "Cook! Food. Now."

Zoro was half naked, his body glistening with sweat. His chest was heaving and his neck… God! Sanji could not turn away even though he could sense that his face was turning red in embarrassment. Okay. So it seemed that he's falling hard for the swordsman now. Zoro's neck was enticing. He could already savor the bittersweet taste of it. And he was drooling over the man in front of a lady!

To save his face, Sanji glared at Zoro and responded irritably, "Later. Just. Had. Lunch."

This seemed to have further irked Robin's interest. The woman stood up gently and elegantly, like a lady should, and picked up the book that she was reading earlier. "I guess I'll go now. Thanks, cook-san." She smiled as she left the galley, her footsteps slowly fading. Her smile was pixieish. Only God knows what was happening in that sinister mind.

"What's wrong with you?" Zoro growled as he sat on the chair that Robin vacated. His eyebrows were furrowed and he cocked his head to the side. "You look like you ate something rotten."

"Fuck you, dickbag!" Sanji kicked Zoro who fluidly blocked it with his fist.

Zoro laughed heartily. It was so genuine that he could not stop another blush that crept in.

[-]

Luffy and Usopp were able to catch a huge sea king during one of their 'let's fish' days. It was like a snake that was more or less twenty feet long. Its scales were deep green and the fins were a mixture of red and orange. The two hauled their catch using a gadget that the sniper made two months ago.

"SANJI!" the captain shouted at the top of his lungs. "We've got meat!"

Sanji was smoking at the bow, looking at the sea. He was not in the mood and he was brooding. His ears rang when he heard Luffy's boisterous voice coming from the other end of Sunny.

Drowning out Luffy's shout was Nami's scream. "Shut up, you rubber ball of a captain!"

Sanji snorted. Typical of his Nami-swan. But, he was still not moved even though he wanted to kick their captain's ass for bothering their navigator. He stared away, farther than the horizon. The sky was gorgeous blue; the ocean was glittering as different sea creatures jumped one by one, decorating the horizon with their shadows. Albeit the beauty they possessed, Sanji did not notice.

"But, Nami! I am so hungry!" Luffy reasoned, his eyes darting here and there as he searched for their cook.

"We just had breakfast like twenty minutes ago!" Nami sighed in exasperation.

"It didn't have meat, though." Usopp explained which earned him a glare from the navigator.

Sanji did not hear the rest of what happened because his focus was turned to someone singing. A deep baritone that was so melodic, he was suddenly hypnotized.

You say you want, diamonds of a ring of gold…

You say you want, your story to remain untold…

But all the promises that we make

from the cradle to the grave

when all I want is you…

The blonde cook's eyes widened, stunned as if his senses were knocked away from him, when he went to the place where the voice was coming from. He stopped in his tracks as soon as he learned that the singer's voice was emanating from the crow's nest.

You say you'll give me, a highway with no one on it...

Treasure just to look upon it, all the riches in the night…

You say you'll give me, eyes in a moon of blindness,

A river in a time of dryness, a harbor in the tempest…

But all the promises we make

From the cradle to the grave

When all I want is you…

You say you want your love to work out right,

To last with me through the night…

But then, when Sanji inadvertently took flight on the steps toward the crow's nest, the singing stopped. Halfway through, the blonde cook was caught between continuing his quest or not. The cigarette that he held between his lips was slowly burning away its embers as he thought.

Well, what the heck. I'm already here. I'll just pester him until he continues the song.

"Sanji! Luffy really needs you to cook the meat now!" Usopp's voice vibrated.

The sniper was already coming near to where he was. It was either getting stuck in the limbo or going straight to hell. And hell it was. He rushed to open the latch of the trapdoor and was greeted with the stinking smell of sweat and sake. The green-haired swordsman's eyes locked with his.

The depth of those eyes was hard to measure. Sometimes, it was shallow, but right now it was too deep. Sanji found himself sinking into it until he could not breathe, realizing that he had held his breath. He gradually released the air through his nose to avoid further embarrassing himself by showing too much of his emotions that were slowly seeping out.

"Marimo?" Sanji blurted out. "You're wasted!"

"Huh," Zoro spouted. "No, I'm not, cook."

Sanji walked haltingly towards the swordsman who was sitting on the floor without much on. Zoro seemed to have been drinking a lot; the bottles of sake littered the floor around him. The cook had to dance around to avoid tripping from the bottles. When he reached the swordsman, he sat down beside him and muttered, "What did you do?"

Sanji reached out his hand to brush the green mass of hair when Zoro caught his wrist and grabbed him into his chest. "Sanji…"

 **TBC**

* * *

A/N: The song that Zoro was singing is "All I Want Is You" by U2. Try to imagine Zoro singing it with his voice in the anime. It's a really good song! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Please don't kill me.


	5. No Turning Back

**"Sanji..."**

He was not drunk per say, but he was a bit buzzed. It started off when Usopp and Franky pointed out that he was unusually close to the cook these days. It was during his nap after lunch yesterday when he stupidly decided to sleep under Nami's mikan tree.

The shipwright was with the sniper testing out something that was close to a whisk and a larger version of Nami's clima-tact. Zoro heard that it was supposed to be attached to a Den Den Mushi like a signal or something, but he was not so sure. He was not exactly interested or knowledgeable about what the two were tinkering most of the time.

"Oi, Zoro! Lend us one of your swords!" Usopp asked him not so nicely. The fact that the sniper was asking him to use one of his precious swords for their stupid experiment made it more annoying.

He looked at the sniper with death in his eyes as a hand flew to the hilts of his swords. He didn't have to speak as the sniper immediately cowered from his deadly gaze. "Thought so. Now, go back to what you were doing, Usopp. Don't want to get cut into pieces now, or do you?"

Usopp laughed nervously. Before the sniper pissed his pants though, Franky caught him and said, "Was that what were you doing with Sanji-bro?" There was a snicker or two before the two guffawed loudly.

Zoro's gaze darkened. What did he mean? "Huh?"

"You seem to spend too much time with Sanji every night!" Usopp said in a high-pitched voice.

It just worsened when their new comer also talked to him about it oh so casually after breakfast today.

"I can see that you and Sanji are not fighting that much anymore. And sometimes I can catch a glimpse of Sanji's eyes turn into hearts when he looks at you, much more than when he watches Nami and Robin." Brook commented while playing his violin. Then, paused when he cracked a skull joke, "But, then again, I can't really see it at all! I don't have eyes! Yohohoho!"

 _They are all pissing me off!_

He even noticed then that the cook seemed to have been avoiding him the entire morning. He couldn't understand it at all. Last night, they even had fun sparring on the deck. Well, until Nami bossed them around saying that they had to stop already because she couldn't sleep with all the ruckus that they were making. Of course, the stupid love-cook could not say no to the witch.

At least, he had stashed some bottles of sake in the crow's nest when the cook was not in the galley beforehand. What was bothering the cook? Did he not like him anymore? He could have just said that last night though. What did he do wrong? There were a lot questions in his mind that he could not channel his energy properly during his training.

His days had been clouded with grey. He'd found ways to function, but his heart was breaking; his patience was wearing thin. Yes, he told the cook not to push himself. Yes, he wanted to wait until the cook was ready. But, damn it! It's been over a month since he confessed his feelings. And now that the cook was here, looking concerned, he just wasn't able to restrain himself.

He grabbed Sanji by the wrist and held the cook in his arms. He buried his face in the crook of Sanji's neck connecting to the shoulder and kept on repeating the cook's name like a mantra. "Sanji... Sanji... Sanji..." Each word was softer than the first. It was pleading; asking for an answer that always hung in the air.

"Zoro?" Sanji's voice was so soft, so feeble. "Tell me what's wrong." He could feel gentle, nimble fingers running through his hair, massaging his scalp as the cook spoke.

It was uncharacteristic to the both of them to be this gentle to each other, but it didn't matter. They were the only ones that could see this side of themselves anyway.

"Sanji..." Zoro still didn't know how to voice his thoughts. What did he want to say? What did he want to ask? Did he want to ask if they could be something? Anything? Did he want to know if he was allowed to love the cook? To be loved in return?

"Hm?" Sanji inquired, still stroking his hair. It was calming him, but not enough.

"I love you." It was the first time that he had truly let out how he felt. It was embarrassing, but what else could he say?

Zoro didn't know how Sanji reacted to his words; what was running inside his head, except for the tightening of the cook's grip in his body.

"Why now?" Sanji murmured after a moment of silence. His voice was hoarse.

He felt Sanji shift, his nose nuzzling his hair. Despite the sweet gesture, Zoro could feel the cook's heart beat racing.

"Do I really have to give you a reason, cook?"

Sanji shook his head as a reply. No, he didn't really have to say any reason at all. The cook knew that he would wait; that he could still wait. But it was terrifying, to be honest. He didn't know when the cook would be swept away by someone else. Sanji always gave himself easily to other people, especially women.

"Can you give me more time to think about this?"

This time, it was Zoro that didn't give an answer.

[-]

Most of the crew were on the deck even though the sun was blazing hot. Breakfast had not been served and some stomachs were growling in quiet hunger.

"I could see land not very far from here," Usopp announced as he spied the surroundings with his binoculars. "Maybe by midday we'd reach it."

Nami looked at her maps. Usopp was right, as far as she could tell. It was smaller than Thriller Bark, but it was definitely land. "Okay, guys, when we reach the shore, we'll stock up. Sanji told me yesterday that we're low on food already since a certain captain gobbled half of the remaining supply." Nami eyed Luffy angrily who was sitting on the lion bust, unaware of the current situation.

"That's super!" Franky said upon hearing the news. "I've been low on cola as well."

Zoro was, again, stupidly taking a nap under Nami's mikan tree. Unfortunately, even though he did not want to sleep there, the cook was in the crow's nest. Sanji agreed to be the lookout last night and he had not come down even though it was already breakfast. Nami and Robin thought it best to let the cook stay there and sleep. Creepy as it was, Robin used her powers to take a peak at the cook.

"Robin, do you think we should make something? I don't think I can wait until lunch before I got fed. And think about Luffy. He'd try to wake up Sanji if he gets-," Nami was not able to finish her sentence when Luffy shouted.

"Sanji, food!" The captain ran to the deck and was about to go to the galley before Nami hit his head with her fist. There was a quiet oof that followed.

"Shut up, Luffy! Sanji's sleeping." Nami said to their captain.

"I'm hungry. Why is Sanji sleeping?" Luffy asked, his eyes pleading.

Nami held back another scream. In gritted teeth, she said, "Because he was up late last night because," she paused and pointed her finger at Luffy, "you practically begged him to take your watch!"

"Oh." Was the only answer Luffy was able to give. Then, as if the conversation didn't happen, he said, "So, what are you doing? You're all huddled here."

Usopp took the initiative to recount the events that had happened just a few minutes ago, dragging Luffy to the starboard.

When the captain and the sniper were gone, Franky inconspicuously followed suit, leaving Robin, Nami, and Zoro on the deck.

While the women talked about what to serve the crew since their cook was out of disposal, Zoro thought deeply. Though exhausted, the cook never showed his weaknesses in front of anyone, but this was really shocking. Why was the cook too exhausted to wake up for breakfast? It irritated Zoro to think that Sanji often thought about Nami and Robin's welfare, but why did the cook did not care about it today? Something's bothering him and it was becoming so obvious. He wanted to find out what it was.

When lunch came, Sanji profusely apologized - in Zoro's further irritation - to Nami and Robin. "I'm really sorry for oversleeping! To make it up to you, I'll make you a dessert that suits your palates!"

Sanji still worked in the galley even though the women refused the offer, telling him to rest.

"Sanji-kun, you don't have to. Just prepare lunch." Nami said as she waved her hand, leaving the galley.

"Thank you, Sanji, but I agree with Nami." Robin said, following the witch.

Zoro was sitting at the table, his chin resting on his fist, watching every action the cook was doing. Sanji was fluidly preparing the ingredients that he was going to use. As Sanji boiled water, he immediately started cutting various vegetables. Leaving his eyes from what the cook was doing, he focused on his features.

The blonde hair that used to be slick and shiny was currently disheveled. His other eyebrow that he delicately covered everytime was now peaking, showing its similar curl from the other one. His clothes were not pressed and the collar was not fixed properly. All in all, the cook did not care to be presentable today.

"Oi, cook!" Zoro killed the silence that was brewing along with the food that the cook was making. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." He answered dully, refusing to look at him.

Everything that the cook was doing right now lacked enthusiasm. It was beginning to look like the cook was... He didn't know what word to use. Restless? Burned-out? Dead?

Zoro stood up and walked towards Sanji. He wrapped his arms around the blonde cook's lithe waist and propped his chin on a shoulder. "There's something wrong and don't tell me otherwise."

His gesture was meant to comfort the other, but the cook stiffened and elbowed him, dropping whatever he was doing. Sanji looked at him, his blue eyes clouding. "You have no idea, so don't assume that you know everything about me, asshole!" The cook turned and attacked him with his foot. "Leave. Now!"

The look that the cook gave him was livid that he had no choice but to leave the galley.

[-]

Of course, everyone heard what happened in the galley, but no one mentioned anything. They had lunch, Zoro could not remember the dish since he was preoccupied with his own thoughts.

Exactly after lunch, they reached the island with no delay, thanks to Nami's navigation and Franky's skills. They docked and everyone dispersed to their assigned tasks, except for Luffy who was already on his way to have his own adventure.

They have docked on a place that resembled a tropical island minus the different kinds of birds and lush forest. It was a bit bare in Zoro's opinion.

Since he felt like he was not needed at all, he decided to stay, and even though the witch threatened him that his debt would be raised to five percent, he did not budge. What was the point in it anyway. He was not interested to fight. At least, not right now anyway.

But all the ideas of drowning out his misery through training and alcohol when Sanji said, "I need someone to carry the load. I can't do much of it because there are a lot of items that I need to tick off the list." He brandished a long piece of paper with red ink, possibly the cook's handwriting.

With Luffy long gone, Usopp and Franky buying materials for the ship, Chopper tagging along with the witch and Robin, it was the skeleton and him left to be chosen.

And as if the cook was torturing him mentally, Sanji gave a lot of horrific descriptions about why Brook should not come with him, starting off with the terrible fact that the person is a walking skeleton.

"It's not that I don't want to bring Brook or anything, but..." he tried to choose his words correctly, running his tongue on his teeth, "women would probably not want a pervert skeleton asking them to show their panties. I can't afford to haggle if he's there."

"You're a pervert, too." Zoro muttered under his breath which Sanji heard.

"Fuck you, moron!" Sanji huffed and glared at him before he left towards town.

Of course, Zoro didn't want to not follow the cook.

It was already sundown when Sanji and Zoro came back to the ship. They were too engrossed in bickering; Sanji kept telling Zoro that he should not have fought with the sales lady earlier, and hitting each other sloppily which caused them to be startled at what Nami had told then. Their baggage fell from their arms as they stared at the witch.

Every one of them were on the deck, the slight breeze ruffling their clothes, making them shiver. The sky was intriguingly beautiful as wisps of orange, red, violet, and blue played softly in the horizon while the stars and moon made its way to the night sky.

"So... since you guys are a bit... well, closer," Nami smiled ominously, "I only booked four rooms in the nearby hotel."

"Am I going to be staying with you?" Sanji asked hopefully.

Nami's eyes turned into slits and menacingly warned, "If you ever enter my room without permission, not only would you gain a hundred thousand beri debt, I would personally kill you, Sanji-kun." Nami then smiled, again, "No, you are going to be roommates with Zoro."

Franky and Usopp snickered which made Zoro turn to look at them. Their eyes were looking anywhere but him, softly whistling a foreign tune as if they did not do anything wrong even though they were already caught red handed.

 _This is going to be an awfully long night._

Zoro had no choice since, even though the cook was in protest, he did not show any of it. In fact, he only showed signs of resignation. Fuck. He didn't want me near him, but he's doing everything in the opposite!

"I'm gonna stay here," Zoro grunted. "I don't feel like going out. I- I'll just look after the ship." And with that, he turned away, not waiting for any remarks that he would receive from the bloody fucking witch with motives.

[-]

As it was, Zoro was tempted to go and sleep in the hotel since Chopper happily told him that the bed was so soft, it would lessen the pain on his back. Frankly, his back hurt like a bitch since he was off medication. He didn't mention this to the little doctor, but maybe because of his profession, he already knew at some point that Zoro would feel pain in the aftermath. When he consented, Chopper giddily gave Zoro his copy of the key to his shared room with the cook.

At this very moment, Zoro was prowling in the dark, cursing the buildings as they kept moving. Thanking the gods that even though they may or may not be real, he was able to arrive at the hotel. It took him some time to think about what to say to the cook when he reached the hotel room, hence the deepening of the night.

When he came into the room, he was taken aback. All the lights were on and the cook was covered with the sheets in the middle of the bed, shivering. The cook seemed to be having a nightmare from the looks of it. He did not bother to look at his surroundings as he padded to the bed.

Sanji was lying on the bed in the fetal position and fisting the bed sheets, the fringe that often covered his eyebrow was flattened on his forehead with sweat. He was mumbling and shouting both at the same time like he was fighting someone in the dreadful dream that he was having. "Don't you dare touch her! Leave her alone. Take me instead, just let her go!"

Zoro was torn. It was agonizing to watch. He did not like seeing Sanji like this. He did not want anyone to be like this. As he was about to wake the cook, Sanji started flailing his hands and feet in the air, viscerally fighting the villain in his dream. "Stop! Stop! No!" Then he started to sob.

All of Zoro's composure fell and he just snatched Sanji from whoever he was fighting, murmuring comfort. "Shh. Sanji, it's okay. I got you." He started making circles at the small of Sanji's back with his thumb. This made the cook stop thrashing about, but did not stop the sobs that continuously left his mouth.

Eventually, Sanji's body relaxed in Zoro's arms.

 **TBC**


	6. The Taste of Nightmare and Bliss

I come to the conclusion that the title of each chapter is not really what's happening (kinda?)... I just sort of read a word or a phrase in the story and it just sort of fits.

Again, I hope you enjoy. :)

* * *

 _He was fixing the empty tables, wiping and cleaning, but his eyes were busy looking at a girl about his age. Her brunette hair falling just above her shoulders, curling at the tip._

 _It was not only her features that caught Sanji's eyes; she was being herded by a man that didn't seem to look like her father, towards the obscured part of the Orbit. Leaving his work half done, he went after the two; his co-workers unaware of his absence._

 _He passed by people sitting at their tables and talking about nonsense, his eyes never wavering from the backs of the two._

 _As he came to the place where the girl and the man went to, he was taken aback at the scene in front of him. The man was forcing the girl to take off her clothes! "What the fuck are you waiting for? Stop wasting my time and take off your damn clothes already! Do you want me to take them off of you?!"_

 _The girl was crying quietly and even though Sanji had no idea what the man was doing to the girl, he understood that he was doing something totally wrong. His feet guided him towards them and put his courage to the test._

 _"Don't you dare touch her! Leave her alone. Take me instead, just let her go!" Sanji shouted the string of words at the top of his lungs. His hands turned into fists at his sides. He did not know what he was getting into, but as long as he saved the girl, he would be happy._

[-]

Sanji woke up and suddenly was well aware that someone was pinning him on the bed. Snores filled the air and when he turned his head a bit, Zoro was there, spooning him. The swordsman's arm was draped over his stomach, which he realized was the reason he felt pinned. Why the swordsman was hugging him in his sleep, he had no idea, but he felt so comfortable in the heat Zoro was emitting that he drifted off again.

When he woke up once again, Zoro was already awake and was eyeing him curiously.

"What?" he asked harshly as he sat on the edge of the bed, patting his pockets and producing his pack of cigarettes.

Zoro answered as he followed Sanji's action, and sat up as well. "You had a nightmare." He raised an eyebrow to show his point.

Sanji collected his thoughts as he puffed smoke, but he could not remember having a nightmare at all. He was pretty sure that he didn't; however, Zoro was looking at him, waiting for an answer even though there was no question asked at hand.

Sanji looked at him and he already learned that that gaze Zoro was giving him at that moment meant that he couldn't escape.

"What did you hear?" He asked quietly, trying to detach himself as he lit a cigarette.

"You were fighting someone, defending a woman," Zoro said. The swordsman wrinkled his nose lightly at the last word.

It's not that Sanji was detached per say, but more of the fact that he was afraid of his past; a part of his life that was haunting him currently. It was all because of Zoro; Zoro and his feelings for him. It was... addling his rationale.

Right now, everything about him was fucked up and he had no other way to tell the swordsman about his past than to be utterly blunt. "Uhm..." He started, then clearing his throat, he went on. "When I was a kid, there was this girl," before he could continue, Zoro muttered, "Of course, there's always a girl in the picture."

"Shut up and let me finish." Sanji spat. He took a long drag from his cigarette and exhaled, swirls of smoke misting the air, "There was a man as well. He... was going to molest her. She was just my age at that time. But I had no idea what he was doing. He just... told her to take off her clothes."

Sanji paused, lost in the fragments of his past. He was absently staring ahead, and slowly smoking. Zoro seemed to see that Sanji was not there at the moment, but he did not speak. He waited until Sanji decided to break the silence.

"I told him that he should take me instead," Sanji was still staring at nowhere, probably picturing the horror that he had as a child. "It was funny, really. When the girl ran away, my senses tingled and told me to run as well. But, I was stubborn as fuck.

"He told me to take my clothes off as well, which to me was... entirely awkward, but I didn't back down."

Sanji was an epitome of shards, broken from a crystal. He was shaking involuntarily and his eyes were dilated in fear... fear of what had come and was yet to come. The cigarette that he was holding was already in two pieces as he held on to it as if his life depended on it; to keep himself from falling.

Realizing this, he muttered a soft, "Fuck," before he threw it in the ashtray that was on the bedside table, and lit another one.

"That was when he started to touch me..." his voice began to tremble, but his poise was calm. "He groped my ass, licked me in most of my private areas."

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me anymore." Zoro said, shifting uncomfortably.

"I have to. You need to know if- if you're really pursuing," Sanji brandished his hand, gesturing to the both of them, " _us_."

Zoro's silence led Sanji to proceed. "I was an apprentice chef in the Orbit, a cruise ship, that time. I went out of the galley and vented my anger at my coworkers by cleaning the tables when they made fun of my dream to find All Blue.

"I didn't know that there were pirates already aboard the ship. Hell, I had no idea that the person molesting me was a pirate. And soon enough, the ship was sinking, along with the girl that I saved, and all the people on the ship."

He shuddered at that, but he did not stop. "Zeff, fought with the pirates that attacked the Orbit. I didn't know then that he saw what had happened; what Don Kreig's crew had done to me.

"That was one of the reasons he saved me. I was naked and running around like a lost dog trying to find his owner when Zeff grabbed me and hauled me away from what was happening. Though, we ended up on an island with no food, we survived."

Sanji cut the part where Zeff ate his own leg just to let him eat the ration that Zeff thought of keeping for himself. It was more gruesome to talk about and he was not yet ready to tell him more about his life.

He was already sobbing when he finished his story. He used one of his palms to cover his face to avoid further embarrassing himself to the swordsman. His breathing hitched as he tried to impossibly calm himself down. As he did so, he felt Zoro embrace him, his face nestled on Zoro's chest. And like the child that he was before, he clung desperately at that heat.

"Shh. Nothing's gonna harm you. Not anymore." Zoro gently brushed his hair in a slow rhythm, calming his senses. Then, he added, "Not while I'm around."

[-]

He wondered how they got here from what they had before.

Zoro was kissing him softly on the crook of his neck, whispering words of love and praise. He was laying on the bed, splayed for Zoro to assault him. The green-haired swordsman was straddling him, and it was sort of comforting in a way, but still scary.

He did not have to worry about preparing breakfast for the crew because each one of them had their own plans for the time being and he did not know that he'd be waking up in the arms of the swordsman that he was becoming fond of.

"Tell me when to stop." Zoro's voice was muffled, lining kisses on his neck downward.

Surprisingly, Zoro smelled really great today. There was a tang of mint and steel, and he smelled like sunshine and _shampoo_. Damn, the Marimo knew how to take care of his hygiene once in a blue moon at least, and it enticed Sanji for the most part. And the callous hands ghosting on his cheeks felt _wonderful_.

Whatever Zoro had planned to do to him, he was not sure. His breathing was shallow as Zoro attacked his body with butterfly kisses. When Zoro reached his navel, however, made him still his breath. He gripped the sheets and closed his eyes, trying to forget about his past for a minute, but it was fucking creeping up on him all the time! He was still _wearing_ clothes for fuck's sake!

"Cook?" Zoro stopped and tilted his head to look at him, eyes half-lidded.

He sighed and opened his eyes to glance at Zoro. "I'm- fuck. I'm scared, Marimo."

"I'm not going to do something that you don't want me to. So, I'll stop now."

He didn't know how to express what he really felt. He wanted what Zoro was doing, but he could not convey it properly because of his trip to his fucking memory lane. He was so fucked up, and he was really at a loss as to why Zoro wanted him in the first place. "No, don't." But Zoro was already sitting up, placing Sanji's head on his lap. It was a sweet gesture, really.

He had never thought that the Demon of the East Blue was this sweet, granted that they often fought about silly and simple things. The way Zoro was handling him now was not out of pity, he could see it in his eyes, but something greater.

"Sorry," Sanji apologized. "I really do want to try this."

Zoro looked down at him and smirked, "Oh, we'll try it. Don't worry."

"Fuck you, Marimo!" Sanji exclaimed, slapping Zoro on his shoulder.

"Do you want me to?" Zoro continued to pester Sanji, but good-naturedly.

After some slapping and light punching and kicking (in Sanji's case), they quieted down, just lying down on the bed, grinning at each other.

"Wanna get some breakfast?" Sanji asked, standing up, reaching for Zoro's hand.

"Sure," Zoro replied as he took Sanji's hand, his stomach growling as well.

[-]

Wado blocked the sole of Sanji's shoe when he turned around and tried to kick Zoro. Heavy grunts and heaving echoed on the deck as Sanji and Zoro trained.

The air was cool and the breeze was continuous. Few leaves from Nami's Mikan tree fell from its branches as they moved in circles, dancing around as they avoided each other's attacks.

"Come on, Marimo. Getting prissy now, are we?" Sanji mocked, taking a drag from his cigarette.

Zoro stepped back, pushing Sanji away with Wado. "You wish, cook."

Sanji landed gracefully, a few inches away. "Well, come on and show me."

After having breakfast which consisted of fresh vegetables and braised pork, they went to the deck to have some fresh air. The sun was rising higher, but the wind was picking up. If they were to sail today, it would be a good start.

They talked about nonsense, mostly consisted of insults and what had happened before Thriller Bark, but they never mentioned about what happened to Zoro then.

"You're such a diva that I can't seem to find any reasonable explanation as to why I fell for you. You and your curly eyebrows." Zoro didn't look at Sanji, the horizon, seemingly interesting for him as he said those words. He could hear the laughter in Zoro's tone, but nevertheless, it was still an insult.

Sanji kicked him on the shin and Zoro retaliated by unsheathing Wado. "What, cook? You want to fight?" Zoro grinned.

"Oh, you're on!" Sanji accepted the challenge.

Their fight was interesting to look at from an outsider's view, but for them, it was how they communicated with each other. A paradoxical way of sharing their interests.

Zoro gripped Wado Ichimonji and Sendai Kisetsu and ran full speed, aiming at Sanji's left. Sanji smiled and stepped aside, turning around and kicked Zoro on his shoulder.

"Fuck!" Zoro spit, cutting the air with his swords.

Finally, he was able to hit Sanji in his chest with a full blow. "Shit!" Sanji cursed as he got knocked off-balance.

This gave Zoro an advantage and pinned Sanji on the floor, Wado almost pressing on his neck. "Gotcha." Zoro smirked and winked.

Slowly, Zoro dipped his head down, his eyes not wavering from Sanji's. The blonde's eyes fluttered close, waiting for what would happen.

Everything became still. They were too close, their breaths mingling in each intake. Sanji could sense Zoro closing in on him. It was something inevitable, of course.

Then, there was the sound of footsteps running towards the ship. "Sanji! Zoro!" Luffy bounced from the harbor and aboard Sunny.

Fuck! And it was so close!

"What are you doing?" Luffy asked, cocking his head to one side.

Sanji shut his eyes, wanting to fade into thin air. He was caught in an awkward situation and he did not want anyone to know about what's going on with him and Zoro yet. However, the swordsman had other ideas.

"I was just about to kiss the cook when you showed up." His voice was cool as ice, but there was a running undercurrent.

The only indication that Zoro was embarrassed just like he was the pink flush on his ears and cheeks, washing his bronze skin that resembled that of velvety caramel.

"Eh?" Luffy stared at them. "Okay. Nami wanted to talk with us so... let's go." His tone did not show any understanding of what Zoro said, but that didn't mean that Luffy really did not understand, right?

[-]

They were all present in the harbor where Nami held their meeting.

"We'll stay here until tomorrow," Nami explained in such a way that grabbed Sanji's attention. "The waves are getting higher. In my opinion, I think there's heavy rain on the way and it would be best to stay here until it passes."

The sky was getting dark even though it was just around noon, the clouds turning grey in its wake. The lapping of the water on the shore was getting louder and even the Thousand Sunny was shaking a bit in the impact of the waves.

"Sanji-kun," Nami cooed, "could you-,"

Whatever she had in mind would be put off and talked about later as she was cut off by their captain. "Barbecue!"

And that was where they were now. Half of the village learned about Sanji's impeccable cooking skills as Luffy paraded his cook, telling them about how Sanji's food tasted like heaven. He wanted to ask Luffy if he had ever tasted heaven before, but stilled himself. Luffy would probably _try_ to taste heaven and tell him that it was scrumptious.

In the center of the village which was covered with huge umbrellas to accommodate people and avoid the worst of the impending rain, most of the people that were captivated by their captain's childish charisma were all gathered, chatting and laughing, around the bonfire that Usopp created. A soft lingering melody of Brook's violin played in the background as everyone enjoyed the merriment.

From an impasse, there came a breakthrough. Sanji was undeniably happy. It was like the heat of summer sunshine was warming him up to the tips of his toes. As he passed the dishes to his crew mates and the villagers, he smiled, something that he had never done genuinely since he was a child.

His insecurities that settled down in the deepest part of his being was slowly disintegrating all because of that person that trusted him; that gave him the reason to trust again.

He could sense someone staring at his back as he moved and when he turned around, he saw Zoro sitting on one of the old fallen down logs in a bit secluded area just a few steps to the beach. He was watching his every move, holding a bottle of beer in one hand.

"What are you doing there? Everyone's having fun out there!" Sanji said as he approached the swordsman, watching the green mass of hair fluttering in the wind.

"Having fun by myself," Zoro grunted. He patted the empty space beside him, silently inviting Sanji to join him.

The invite was warm and it allowed his body to take over and guide him where he wanted to be.

Zoro studied him for a while before he leaned in, touching his chin with those deft hands, and kissed him - gentle and quick. "I need to continue where I left off." He pulled him close, just with the tips of his fingers and deepened the kiss.

When he pulled away, Sanji made a face, "What a Neanderthal," jokingly wiping off his mouth.

The night fell and they were all blissfully out - dead to the world. All Sanji could think about was how he was getting the hang of things. Well, at least most of it.

 **TBC**

* * *

BTW, there's a part here that I sort of liked. If you have watched Sweeny Todd, then... yeah. :D


	7. Poison and Pain

Of course, there's no such thing as peace and tranquility for pirates such as the Strawhats.

It was mid-morning and Zoro was hovering over the cook, waiting for Sanji to wake up. He was still groggy from sleep and only had the slightest interest to stand up. He was content with taking in the blonde's breathtaking features. The sun's rays coming from the lone window in their hotel room were a bit unwelcome. Last night was one of the best nights that he had with the cook and he wanted to savor it. Yes, they had not done it yet, but the cook was definitely warming up.

The soft breaths that Sanji were taking in and breathing out was calming, soothing his boiling feelings for the man. He'd never been in love and he had no way to assume that he was in love with the cook until Thriller Bark. Sure, he'd been enthralled by the cook's brilliance in fighting and cooking ever since he had been asked to join the crew by Luffy. But, his feelings were not this strong before. No, he had never even thought of his feelings for Sanji was love at first. It was admiration of some sort, just guised as nothing more than nakama-ship. Now, everything was laid out for Sanji. Whether he would choose to accept him for what he is or to ignore it.

All of Zoro's thoughts were cut when he heard a shout. "Zoro! Sanji! Marines!"

Startled, Sanji quickly stood up hit his head on Zoro's. "Damn, cook!"

"Marimo, what the fuck are you doing?!" Sanji exclaimed as he rubbed his forehead.

Nonchalantly, Zoro brushed his shirt and spoke, "Marines."

"I heard that, shithead." Sanji stood up as well, fixing the cuffs and collar of his shirt.

They walked out of the hotel and met up with the rest of the crew. Luffy was already wound up and ready for the fight that was sure to come. The forthcoming battle with the marines was inevitable. All of them had been chased by different admirals, one way or another after all. They're ready to fight, with their instincts and skills. This was nothing more than a simple training for them until they all reached their goals; their dreams.

The sky was a bit misty and it was still drizzling. It seemed that last night, when all of them hit the hay, the rain poured, something that would have been wonderfully cool, but unfortunately, it was not. The marines were there, surrounding them. White and blue uniforms, emblems of their sworn allegiance decorating it. It was such a sight to behold; something Zoro would want to see in hell. Well, technically, when there were marines, he felt like he was in hell - most of the time, anyway.

Zoro, Luffy, and Sanji take their positions, relying on their nakama to do the same. Zoro, swords drawn, and Sanji, attacked without looking back, attacking the enemies on each flank. Luffy rushed ahead, kicking and punching all the marines that were blocking his way to Sunny. They need not know what had happened. It was probably why Usopp was itching to sail the other day. One or more residents on the island probably alerted the marines that the Strawhats were there. After all, their bounties, except for Chopper's, would make their place bountiful. So much for being hospitable.

He felt Sanji's back against his as they were surrounded by lower ranking marines, but still definitely strong. Zoro soon realized that the corners of his mouth were turned up in a grin. Of course, this was how they fought. They fought together as if they owned the place. Eyes still on his enemy - a marine who was a bit lanky, but nevertheless had an aura that he couldn't place - he attacked, not bothering to look behind him to check on Sanji. He knew that the blonde didn't need his help. Not as of the moment.

It was chaos in the middle of the village. Fallen marines were herded by their allies to the opening of alleys that were not inhabited. Smoke, rubble, and all kinds of debris fell on them as Franky used his cannons to fight with the marines that had armory brought. Chopper was in his Heavy Point, the witch was using her clima-tact, and Robin, as usual, was breaking necks with her abilities. The skeleton and Usopp were nowhere to be found, but Zoro did not mind. He knew that they had their own styles of fighting. Whether they fought badly or with their heart and soul, he did not really care as long as they were all safe and not caught.

He turned around to look for another marine to fight after killing his last enemy and noticed that he was covered in blood. It was then that he realized that his arm was not working properly, blood oozing slowly from the said limb. There was a huge gash that he did not notice during his fight. He shrugged and decided that he should just exert more effort until the fight ended. It was not a big deal, he was used to getting hurt all the time and this was small compared to the injuries that he had had in the past.

Time passed and Zoro was about to charge to the marine that was sitting on a rock, seemingly oblivious to the riot that was happening around him. The person was neither interested or bored, Zoro decided. He was just indifferent. That was when he sensed someone move behind him, before he fell down. It was really absurd because he did not feel any pain. Not a spark, not heat. Nothing at all. It was like he was immobilized, just showing him the scenes in front of him as it all unfolded.

He could not see much. His eyes were clouded as fumes rose from different parts of the village. The light rain did not do much to dissipate the smoke around them. Zoro swallowed as he watched the drama happening right there. It was not much of chaos anymore. It was more like pandemonium at its finest. And because of his position, laying down - all of his weight - on his right shoulder, he could not see where his nakama had gone to.

He was a fighter; a swordsman. The best that there is, aside from Mihawk, of course. But this, this immobility, he could do nothing. He was paralyzed like a lame horse. He felt weak. He could only do so much at this point. Breathing erratically, he looked for signs as to where his nakama were. Amidst his static state, he knew that he could shout, speak, or simply state what had happened to him, but he could not. There was fear in his eyes; fear of what his nakama would think about him. A swordsman who was not even able to defend himself properly. Such a nuisance; a shame to the crew.

In the distance, he could hear the shouts of people, his crew and citizens alike. He had no idea what to do. He wanted to fight back. Fight and kill the bastard who had done this cowardly act to him. But how could he. He could not even vent his anger. Try as he might, he could not even move his fingers in this state. He closed his eyes and waited for something - or maybe someone - to notice his absence in the fight.

[-]

When Zoro woke up, eyes still closed, he could hear the others talking in panic about him. He sensed the IV drip line that was connected to him. He was still groggy, and could not focus on what was happening around him. He tried to listen to the hum of Chopper's machines, drowning out the sounds of anxiety coming from his nakama. The last thing he wanted was to hear them be in this state. He did not even want to see a certain someone worry about him. He was stronger than that. But, then again, he failed to fight even for himself. Thus, this situation he was in.

As soon as Chopper shooed the entire Strawhat crew, he began breathing calmly. He had been in this situation too many times before and was glad that he did not have to face the crew. Yet. Though the little doctor was sweet and childlike at times, he knew deep down that Chopper was seething as well. Seething because of Zoro's recklessness and because of not being able to avoid the predicament that his patient was in, too. Zoro could hear the reindeer shuffle about, taking notes and making sure that Zoro was getting the right dose of medication.

"Chopper," Zoro uttered the name endearingly.

"Oh, Zoro!" the little doctor squeaked. It was as if he was sure Zoro was not going to wake up yet.

"What's the verdict?" Zoro finally looked down to capture the doctor's eyes.

Chopper's hat was lowered, shadowing his eyes a bit. "You were poisoned! I didn't know where it started. I had to check on all of your injuries just to make sure," the reindeer rambled on. "I found a small puncture wound on your nape, which I presume was where the poison was injected. I still haven't brewed an antidote so, I suggest that you should stay here until then."

Thankfully, Zoro learned, as Chopper continued his findings, was almost immune to the poison. He was only immobilized whereas if he were weaker, he would have been dead after a minute the poison took effect. Chopper's words should have relaxed and assured him, but it didn't. He still felt weak. He should not have underestimated his opponents. As a swordsman, he still had a long way to go and beat Mihawk. What a pathetic swordsman he was.

There, his negativity was brewing, like stew in direct heat. What a bullshit experience! He should not call himself a fighter at all. He should go back to the dojo and fuck himself up with all of his katanas. It wasn't supposed to be this way. All he could do was train harder and forget all of his leisure. He should be more focused.

The following days after Chopper was sure that most of the poison was flushed away from Zoro's body and his immune system was working properly, he was released. He felt like he was freed from his shackles. This time, he was going to strengthen his resolve. He would work hard and be the swordsman that he would like to be.

He worked hard every fucking day. He trained, avoided drinking any alcoholic drinks - when he forgot - and steeled himself from looking at the crew. He only visited Chopper to tend to his wounds from the recent battle. Other than that, he did not care. Even Luffy understood him. Luffy did not bother him when he worked out and trained (or meditated) outdoors.

He did not care when the witch shouted at him for being too careless when training; he did not care when Usopp, Brook and Franky made fun of him; he did not care when the cook was being annoying. In other words, he remained focused on his training. His swords were the only things that were in his mind. Those and his dream.

He was working out, torso glistening with sweat when the cook entered the crow's nest. "Oi, Marimo."

Zoro did not look nor glance at the cook, weights on his hands, he spoke, "What do you want?" His voice straining as he lifted the weights.

The cook did not speak, but he could smell the enticing food that the cook prepared. Still, it did nothing to waver him from his focus. One, two, three, he counted in his mind, waiting for the cook to leave. He heaved as he flexed his arms as he brought the weights over his head and down, repeatedly.

"What did I do, Marimo?" Sanji asked, his tone quiet and low. Smoke infiltrated Zoro's senses as the cook breathed the deadly stick.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Zoro's tone was passive. He still avoided looking at the blonde. He dropped the weights and grabbed one of his swords, cutting the air with each swipe.

"You're avoiding me." Sanji stated.

Zoro heard a soft clink of china on the floor. It seemed that whatever the cook brought him was placed on the floor. He could smell the enticing aroma of food circling in the air along with the bitter smell of smoke.

Sanji sighed heavily as he shifted his weight. "I brought you food."

When Zoro did not react, Sanji quietly left, not bothering to ask anymore questions.

[-]

On the next few weeks, Chopper and Robin were busy. They spent their days poring over books. According to Chopper, they wanted to look for more information about the type of poison that was injected in him. Knowing the little doctor and Robin, they would not stop until they found the answer that they were looking for.

Medical books and other kinds of books that Robin kept with her from her village were open, the pages marked with red ink and whatnot. She seemed at peace at what she and Chopper were doing. They were both in their element.

In Chopper's hand was a pencil, chewed up at the end, obviously used as teeter instead of its intended purpose. He was reading a book about medicinal plants and plants that have toxins when he squeaked and jumped up from his seat.

"I think I got it!" Chopper exclaimed.

Robin took the tome from the little doctor and read the information that was found. The raven-haired woman furrowed her eyebrows as she took in all the data. "I see," she interjected knowledgeably.

"What is it?" Zoro asked. He was leaning against the wall near the door and bookshelves.

He had been watching the two since that morning as he paused his practice. He had been closer to the doctor since he decided to avoid any distractions, finding Chopper endearingly cute at times.

Chopper went to a drawer and produced mortar and pestle, and placed it on his desk. "I'll be right back. I need Sanji's help for this."

Zoro's eyes widened for a second before he put up his defenses. He looked nonchalant, as if he did not care about what Chopper had said. Why did he need the shit-cook's help? Well, whatever. It's Chopper and not him.

When Chopper left, Zoro turned to Robin and asked the same thing that he had asked the doctor. "What did you find?"

Robin looked at him with those black eyes and spoke intellectually. "Oh, Chopper found out the source of the poison that was used to immobilize you. It's called black locust. On the island where we docked for a while, it was abundant with this plant. While its other uses are purely medical, its toxicity can produce cardiac arrhythmia, weakness, depression, and anorexia. These were often found in animals that were tested such as horses, but of course, poison is poison after all." Robin continued to tell Zoro about the black locust and how it can be poisonous.

Finally, Chopper came back with the plant and fervently pulverized the plant into powder. He explained to Zoro that once he was able to turn it into powder, he would mix other chemicals that could make the poison into an antidote. Zoro only nodded as he listened to the doctor talk about its purposes and what would happen to Zoro once he had taken it. Zoro took the medicine after Chopper was done with it, which was really bitter to the palate and had a sour after taste.

"You should drink it twice a day, preferably after eating. That means no alcohol for one week. I know that you would not probably listen to me, so I made sure that Sanji would keep all of the liquor locked away from you." Chopper told Zoro.

So maybe that was why Chopper went to the cook earlier. But what did he care anyway? Zoro nodded and went to the crow's nest to relax. The antidote was working already; he could feel his upper body becoming loose and he was getting a little woozy. He sat down by the window and leaned his head against the windowsill and sleep took him quickly.

[-]

"I don't need your fucking pity, damn cook!" Zoro shouted, fed up with Sanji's spiels about knowing how he felt. "You don't have any idea what I'm going through! You only want someone to notice you, and guess what? I'm done with you!"

Zoro was seething. His eyes, he knew, were emitting the aura of his inner demon. Right then, he did not care whether Sanji really cared about him, he did not want it. He did not need any help nor pity, or anything in between. All he wanted was peace as he waited for the time until he was stronger; better. His shoulders were rigid as he tried his best not to kill the cook that instant.

Zoro just woke up from his nap when the cook kicked him on his side. Apparently, the cook had been waiting for him to wake up to talk to him. He had been avoiding any conversation with the cook since being poisoned. He did not want to see Sanji's eyes - or eye since the other's fringe kept on hiding the other - and find pity in them. He had enough of that from himself.

"What do you want from me, shitty cook?!" he exclaimed, still muddled and disoriented from waking up and the effects of the antidote.

"I'm worried about you, Marimo!" Sanji stated. "You don't eat much and you spend too much time training. You'll exhaust yourself to death!"

"What do you care?" Zoro said. The cook was becoming a vexing problem. He would not be able to concentrate now. He would feel lust and love again. He could not be bothered by those things until he reached his goal.

"I know what you're going through. If you need someone to talk to, I will be here. I'm willing to listen to you." Sanji said, walking closer to the swordsman.

"I don't care and I know that you don't. Stop pretending that you care. Stop this bullshit now, cook. I don't know why you're pushing yourself to do this." Zoro stood up and looked straight into the blonde's eyes. "I don't care about anything that you're saying. You stay out of my business."

If he let Sanji go now, he would probably have less time to brood. He would have less pain in getting his heart broken. The last thing that he wanted was to lose focus on his goal. Right now, that's the only thing that he should think about.

If he'd still be there, then he would be happy. And if not, then that would be up to fate. "Go. Leave me be. Or so help me, I would kill you."

 **TBC**

* * *

I am really sorry, but this fic is morphing into something with so much angst. Well, we'll see what would happen on the next.

What did you think about it though? :)

P.S. Don't kill me.


	8. The Fight at Night

_Fumes were all around. People were running, trying to avoid getting in the middle of the fight that broke out. Every person, man, woman, and children alike, were fleeing like ants. He wanted to help the women and children, but he could not even budge from his own fight. As he sent kicks to his enemies that surrounded him, the smoke was slowly clearing out as the rain pelted down from the heavens. He could finally have a clearer vision._

 _He breathed in the final smoke from his cigarette, hazy rings floated upwards, distorting and coiling along their contumacious path. The sky was getting darker now. The feeble light from the sun obscured by the greyish clouds was the only source of illumination now. He flicked the butt of his cigarette after it burned out and turned to face another marine. Sanji shouted as he turned around and kicked a marine square on his stomach. The force sent the man flying towards a broken wall, making him grunt in pain, but before passing out, he was able to shoot his gun and hit Sanji in the shoulder._

 _After a while, most of the marines had decided to back out and go back to their ships. His lovely ladies, Nami and Robin, Chopper (who was back to his normal form), Usopp, Franky and Brook were either sitting or laying down on the pavement while getting their breathing back to normal. It was just like what had happened at Thriller Bark. The mere memory of it made Sanji shudder. Zoro was nowhere to be found. This worried him the most. A tingling sensation hit him hard in his gut. Something must have happened to the Marimo._

 _"Oi, Luffy, have you seen the shitty swordsman?" Sanji asked, trying to get his voice as steady as he could muster._

 _Luffy glanced around, then shook his head. "Nah. Maybe he's out there still fighting. He'll come come back, Sanji."_

 _Sanji took his captain's word at heart. Maybe he is still looked up and let the rain wash his face clean from dried blood from him and his enemies'. His fringe was sticking on the corner of his face which made him lift up his hand to slightly fix it to keep it from moving about._

 _An hour or so had passed, there was still no sign of the green haired swordsman. He sighed heavily and stood up. He had to look for him._

 _ **I hope that he only got lost on his way back.**_

 _"Luffy, I'm going to search for him." And with that, he started scouring for the Marimo._

 _He walked for what seemed like a lifetime. He searched high and low, his clothes sticking to his skin, but he could still not find the swordsman. He could feel an ominous presence lurking about, watching his actions. His hair at the back of his neck prickled._

 _A voice roused his fear. "Are you looking for a swordsman? Green hair?"_

 _Sanji wrenched his body towards the owner of the voice. His heart stopped for a millisecond. It was an admiral, based on the uniform that the man was wearing. If he weren't an admiral, what else could he be? "What did you do to him?" His eyes narrowed as he growled._

 _"He's still alive. Barely." The admiral informed him. "Currently, his body is slowly dying. Poison has entered his body." The grin that the admiral sent his way was haunting._

 _As the admiral spoke, Sanji took in his features. He had a scar on his face, diagonally running from the left eyebrow towards his upper right cheek. His dark blue hair was cut cleanly as well. In other words, he was creepy but clean, Sanji decided. However, he did not continue to assess his looks._

 _"Where is he?!" Sanji growled, closing his hands into fists at his side._

 _"What would I get in return for that information?" The admiral inquired, gripping the hilt of his weapon. Sanji noticed that it was not a normal sword. It was not even close to Brook's. Its tip was pointed; too fine like a needle._

 _"He's my nakama, and I'd kill you in exchange for his life, fucker!" Sanji was getting wound up. His anger could not even be defined in words._

 _" I take that as a challenge, Black Leg Sanji."_

 _ **How does he know who I am?**_

 _The man looked at him, eyes sparkling with interest, "I, Akarui, can hear your thoughts. And even without my ability, I know your crew. Strawhats." He spit the last word with venom. "A pathetic excuse for human beings. Misfits like you should be wiped out from the seas."_

 _" You're going down," Sanji snorted, raising his leg for a kick. Anger was stirring the blood running in his veins._

 _The fight between them only lasted for a couple of hours. Sanji was faster and lighter than Admiral Akarui. Though the man used his Haki and mind reading (whether he really had that ability), Sanji was able to map out his moves. The blonde cook landed a few deadly blows to the admiral and only incurred minor scrapes._

 _Stepping his foot on the man's chest, putting most of his weight on it, Sanji glared at him, "Tell me where he is."_

 _Blood spurted from the admiral's mouth as he grunted, "By the beach."_

 _Sanji did not waste any second to check whether the admiral passed out or died. He rushed to the shore and there sprawled on the semi-soft sand was Zoro, unconscious and barely breathing. He stilled for a moment before he lifted the swordsman and carried him on his back._

 _When he reached the others, he did not answer any of their questions. He immediately asked Chopper to help Zoro. If the others were curious why he was frantic about helping the swordsman, he had no reason to dwell on it. Zoro first. The rest would be taken care of later. They all retreated quietly to Thousand Sunny; no one spoke, even Luffy who was eager to recount the events of his fight against the marines kept silent. Sanji thanked them all mutely as he accompanied Chopper to the infirmary._

 _While Chopper attended to the Marimo, who was still as a rock, Sanji sat on the far corner of the sick bay. He was beginning to be lulled by the whirring medical devices as he waited for the little doctor to finish._

 _He did not realize that he dozed off until Chopper nudged him lightly on his shoulder. "Your turn, Sanji. We'll just make it fast then you can sleep already."_

[-]

Sanji busied himself in the galley. He prepared different kinds of dishes, mostly Zoro's favorites: sushi, curry, and onigiri. He plated each dish with precision, deft hands moving gracefully. This was his element and he was trying his hardest to be calm and relaxed.

Earlier that day, Chopper had told Sanji that Zoro was already up and about, though he was still under observation. Knowing how stubborn the swordsman was, Sanji needed to ground him and tell him that he should take it easy; however, when lunch came, the Marimo was avoiding his eyes.

At first, Sanji thought that the swordsman would eventually talk to him or even fight with him. Unfortunately, Sanji was thoroughly disappointed. Even though Zoro was almost cured, he still ignored him. This continued to frustrate the cook even more.

"What's the matter with you, fucker?" Sanji asked the air as he prepared some snacks for the swordsman who was evidently training his life to the fullest.

When Sanji trekked to the crow's nest, he felt lightheaded. He knew that the Marimo was purposely dodging contact with him, but he wanted to know why he suddenly decided that Sanji was not worth his attention anymore.

He breath hitched as he saw Zoro's body slick with sweat, working out with his weights; tanned muscular body flexing. He slowly exhaled and steeled. "Oi, Marimo."

The swordsman did not look nor glance at him as he continued to lift the weights on his hands, not bothering to look at him. "What do you want?" It was clear in his voice that Sanji's presence was unwelcome.

Sanji watched as Zoro dropped the weights and grabbed one of his swords, cutting the air with each swipe.

"You're avoiding me." Sanji stated.

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck. You're killing me here, shitty Marimo!_

When Zoro did not bother to talk to him, Sanji placed the plate of onigiri that he had prepared on the floor next to the trapdoor gently. He sighed heavily as he shifted his weight. "I brought you food."

He was still watching Zoro's movements, entranced like hearing a Siren for the first time in his life. Zoro was beautiful in a sense. He'd never thought about it but yes, the green haired swordsman was a sight to behold. However, when Zoro still did not react, Sanji quietly left, not bothering to ask anymore questions.

As he closed the trapdoor behind him, he could feel tears brimming in his tear ducts. _Why are you doing this to me?_ He slumped his back against one of the poles supporting the ship and tried to fight the tears that were falling.

The next time Sanji tried to talk to the swordsman, the same shitty thing happened. But, not only Zoro did not bother to show pleasantries, he also accused him of being an attention seeker.

Zoro was sleeping in the crow's nest once more, a trail of drool was seen on the corner of his mouth as he snored. _Ha! This is why women are the most beautiful creatures on the planet._ Annoyed at the swordsman's disgusting manner, Sanji kicked him on the side.

"What do you want from me, shitty cook?!" the swordsman exclaimed, his voice sounded like he was drunk, though he knew that the only way he would be drunk was drinking a ton of keg filled with liquor with Nami.

"I'm worried about you, Marimo!" he stated. He noticed that his voice was totally filled with concern. "You don't eat much and you spend too much time training. You'll exhaust yourself to death!"

 _And I can't live without you. Oh, fuck. I am falling head over heels for this bastard. Am I?_

"Why do you care?" Zoro inquired.

 _Why did I care? I…_

"I know what you're going through. If you need someone to talk to, I will be here. I'm willing to listen to you." Sanji said as he walked closer to Zoro, but before he could, he was taken aback at the words that were directed to him.

Zoro's words kept on echoing, vibrating in the deepest crannies of his entire being. _Stop pretending that you care. You only want someone to notice you, and guess what? I'm done with you!_

Those. And the fact that Zoro was done with him, were enough reasons to forget about being wanted or needed. In the first place, he never told Zoro that he would even give him the chance to be in a relationship with him. So, what did it matter? Why was he falling apart? He was drowning in a sea of depression, and he had no idea how to swim to the shore.

[-]

The ocean was grand. Majority of the people in the world were filled with wonder about its grandeur just like Sanji who was staring at the vast waters. He was smoking his first cigarette of the day. He just finished preparing breakfast for the crew, but he did not feel fulfilled. Frown painted his face as he robotically puffed his cigarette.

"You seem to be out of the ship, Sanji." A cool voice broke the silence between Sanji and the waves of the ocean. This startled him, but he easily recovered.

"Robin, darling, you're early today," Sanji swooned, but his heart was not there. "I'm just looking out for land."

"You know," Robin started, "you should sort out your feelings. Just like sailing the seas, you can find understanding, truth, and treasure underneath it all. You just have to swim it to reach your destination."

Sanji looked at the raven-haired woman. "I don't understand."

Though he was witty at times, he could not comprehend the cryptic messages the lady was talking about.

"You'll just have to show that you truly care, Sanji." After giving her cryptic advice, Robin smiled at him, tapped his shoulder, and walked away.

Instead of being enlightened, Sanji was more boggled at Robin's advice. During breakfast, he could not stop himself from glancing at Zoro who was stoic as ever, not bothering to join the conversation about The Fishman Island and the crew's expectations of the place. He picked on his food which irked Sanji. He stood up and kicked the stool where the swordsman was sitting. It had so much pressure that made Zoro topple over.

"What the fuck, shitcook?!" Zoro exclaimed, getting on his feet.

"Do not play with your food! Are you a child?!" Sanji spat. "If you're not going to eat, fine! Just don't play with the food that I made!" And because he was so mature, he walked out.

He was so pissed, but he was not so sure where it was directed. To himself or to Zoro. He was getting carried away with all the negative vibes that the swordsman was emitting, he could not get used to it. It was backfiring to him. He wanted to be in good terms with the swordsman again; good terms in their own way though.

There were muffled footsteps towards him and he was glad that it was not Robin but Luffy who decided to accompany him. He had enough mysterious messages as of the moment, thank you very much.

"Sanji." Luffy stretched his body before he went on. "Is something bothering you?"

"Why do you think so?" he asked, totally curious.

"I don't know, but I think something happened between you and Zoro. You need to sort that out."

"Don't you think I haven't tried?" Sanji retorted, "He just clammed up like a shell and I have no idea what to do now." He sounded frustrated. Hell, he _is_ frustrated.

"Just do your best. He's a good person. He'll eventually talk to you." And just like Robin, Luffy tapped him on the shoulder and smiled at him.

Silence befall them before Luffy decided to leave him.

[-]

That night, Sanji took the best sake and the finest wine that he had from the confines of the only locked cupboard in the galley. If food was not enough, maybe good old drinking would help him reach out.

He puffed out his chest and put on his smile. There was nothing wrong with smiling, right? Besides, if he started to frown, he would lose the only thing that was keeping him from breaking down.

When he reached the crow's nest, he was disappointed to see that it was empty. Where was the Marimo at this hour? Sanji was at a loss. He was sure that Zoro barely slept in the boy's quarters. _Maybe he couldn't find the way to the crow's nest because of his stupidity? Possible._

Still holding the liquor in his hands, he was about to descend the trapdoor when he heard Zoro mutter, "Stupid cook. Still keeping the fucking sake in chain and bolt. One day, I'm gonna slash that shit and drink all of his stash."

"Oh, really now, you shitty swordsman?" Sanji could not stop himself.

"What are you doing here, ero-cook?" Zoro gruffly asked, dismissing the question.

"I'm on lookout." Sanji said matter-of-factly.

"Huh. Whatever." Zoro entered without further ado. He went to the corner and took his towel and slung it on his shoulder.

Sanji watched as Zoro move about the room. He was still apprehensive, but he wanted this animosity between them gone. As Zoro crossed the room to go back down, he blocked the swordsman's path with his leg. "Stay where you are, shithead."

"Why?" Zoro was taken aback by the looks of it.

"Let's drink, before you break my cupboard." Sanji waved the bottle of sake to show that he was not bluffing.

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing. Just missing you." Sanji said. Then, he suddenly realized what he had said, his eyes widened. He cleared his throat and continued, "Don't want to see you break down the galley in search for liquor, moss-head."

"Huh." Zoro slumped down on the bench and grabbed the bottle from the cook. "Well, thanks, I guess." He shrugged before opening it and gulped a few chugs, wiping excess liquid that spilled on the side of his mouth with the back of his hand.

Seeing that it was the only appreciation he would get, Sanji settled down a few inches away and took his wine as well. The silence in the crow's nest made his blood as cold as the sea breeze that crept through the open windows. It was an omen of some sort and it chilled him to the bones, not even the finest wine could burn down.

"Zoro," Sanji said at last, after drinking from his liquor. "Why are you avoiding me?" He was slurring already. Fuck, he should not have drank too much.

"I'm not avoiding anyone, shit cook." Zoro denied.

"But you're not talking to me."

"I'm talking to you now."

The way they were was unconventional. Zoro was not looking at him. Sanji was looking at him through his peripheral. It was unnerving Sanji in all possible ways.

"This is different," Sanji explained. "You're talking to me now because you had no choice. But everyday, you..." Sanji stopped. How should he say this? He was good at talking with women, but this was totally new to him.

"What cook?" Zoro urged him.

"Am I not good enough anymore?" His breath was quivering. He could not fight his tears any longer.

"Oi." Zoro looked at him and saw that he was definitely crying.

"Fuck. I don't understand any of this at all," Sanji choked on his words, "I am not getting enough sleep! My food's all shitty! Everything I do seems not enough! I can't function well since!"

"Oi, cook. Stop." Zoro said. He was about to reach out, but stopped half way. He scratched the back of his neck as he spoke softly, "Listen. It's not you at all."

Sanji laughed mirthlessly. "If it's not me, it's you? Are we in some kind of drama? Stop giving me cliche lines."

"I'm not giving you cliche lines, cook!" Zoro said exasperatedly as he stood up, hands becoming animated. "It is really just me!" His hands came up to his hair as he tugged on the strands. He gave off a muted howl as he got visibly angry at himself.

"You!" Sanji stood up as well, a little groggily, and pointed a finger on Zoro's chest. "You're a coward! You don't even know how to keep your word! I even thought about everything you said to me. I thought about you since you told me that you love me! But..." The string of words became garbled as he continued, tears fogging his eyes. "You're pathetic! You're not worth my time, my thoughts, my everything!"

And because he was this emotional now, he kicked the swordsman on the side, catching the other off guard. Zoro doubled over as another kick assaulted him on the chest. "Pick up your swords, you piece of shit!"

Zoro did not need Sanji to tell him twice. He ducked when a kick aimed on his skull came and scrambled to grab on of his swords and unsheathed it with a soft swoosh. He blocked another kick with it. "Shit, cook, are you drunk?!"

Yes, he easily got drunk, but he was still sober. Not much, but he could still kick Zoro's ass and that's all it mattered. Sanji did not answer verbally. He gave a series of kicks towards Zoro, not bothering to be gentle. He was in a battle now and Zoro was his opponent.

They went at it for what seemed like an eternity until Zoro got tired of blocking. The moss head timed his kicks and grabbed Sanji's leg before it connected to his shoulder. "Enough, cook!"

"I hate you!" Sanji wailed. He still had energy, but it was wavering. "I hate you so much!" He kept repeating the words, but they did not mean anything. He wanted to feel differently; however, he was walking on an endless road to where his true feelings were.

He tried to get away from Zoro's grasp, but the swordsman had other plans. He was slung on Zoro's shoulder, his head almost hitting the swordsman's ass. He was brought down on the floor - not so gently - and was laid on the cold woodwork of Adam wood. Zoro pinned both of his arms on both sides, above his head; the swordsman's hands locking his wrists. His legs were parted by Zoro's knees, stopping him from kicking or struggling. "What is your problem, cook?" Zoro growled.

Sanji grit his teeth. "You are my problem, asshole!" Sanji answered honestly.

He was walking on fire now, but he was lost. He wanted to Zoro to pick him up and never let him go. He wanted the swordsman, more than ever. Sanji, the ladies' man, was shamelessly in love with the Marimo and he had no idea where to go from there. He looked away because he was afraid that the swordsman had changed his thoughts about him. Now that he was ready, the other might not be anymore. And that scared him the most.

 **TBC**

* * *

A/N:

1\. I have decided that this fic will only last for 10 chapters.

2\. I am sorry, I was planning on putting smut on this part already, but... I just want more of Sanji's thoughts.

3\. Thank you so much for those who commented and wrote about their thoughts about this fic.

4\. Akarui - bright (OC Admiral was a bit difficult to write)

5\. Please let me know what you think about this chapter. Thanks!


	9. Letting Go

**"You are my problem, asshole!"**

There are times when he hated himself. Most probably because of how he is as a person. However, beyond his stoic personality, he was not cold-hearted at all. Well, maybe a bit, but he still had a heart. And it currently belonged to the person in front of him. Eyes like the ocean, beautiful and sparkling. No one would even understand how he was captivated by the owner of those eyes. He never would have thought of it as well.

He sighed in defeat. He did not know what Sanji was thinking; what he was feeling. He was getting jittery, and their current position was not helping him at all. With Sanji under him... Well, his mind was running lewd thoughts at that moment.

"What do you really want, cook?" He asked, his voice somewhere in the middle of being gruff and soft.

Sanji made a strangled noise at the question. He still avoided his gaze and Zoro really wanted to see those deep blue eyes. He contemplated whether to let him not look at him or let go of one of his wrists to cup his chin and make him look at him. However, once he made the decision to stare into those blue eyes, he's afraid that he'd let go of his inhibitions and never go back. He'd never let their relationship stay as nakama. No, sir, he wouldn't.

He was still scared. No, not scared, but he was uneasy. He wanted to be stronger before he took Sanji for himself. He was broken in million ways. What if his thoughts were different from what Sanji wanted? What if he wanted Sanji, but Sanji really didn't want him that way? As far as he knew, Sanji was straight and only had his eyes for women. Maybe Sanji was just bluffing last time when he said that he liked him. Or maybe Sanji liked him only as a fighter. Well, the more it seemed that he needed to work on his skills if that was the case. Damn it!

Deafening silence filled the crow's nest. The breeze outside picked up and the room was suddenly brightened by the moonlight coming from the windows, bathing them with it before the clouds covered it again. Sanji still refused to look at him, making him feel sullen. He had to choose already or else, he would never get any answer. He averted his gaze to the trapdoor which was unlocked. He needed to move fast in case the next person to take over Sanji's post might catch them.

Making up his mind, he let go of one of the cook's wrists and cupped the man's chin with his free hand, silently thanking that that the cook did not put up a fuss. "Look at me and tell me what you want."

His gaze was met by the blue eyes of Sanji and he almost melted by them. Tears were welling as the cook mumbled something incomprehensible.

"Say that again." Zoro said, his voice softening.

"I said, I am in love with you, you shitty Marimo."

Zoro gaped at Sanji. He had a hard time processing what the blonde had said. His mind was warring whether he heard wrongly or he was going insane. Might be the last one though. Sanji, the person who could not even take his eyes off of women, who couldn't stop his nose from bleeding just by seeing a beautiful woman, was telling him that he was in love with him? He must be really out of his mind! His daily fantasies were now making fun of him by showing him an illusion of Sanji that was reciprocating his feelings. Shit!

He didn't know that his mouth was agape until he heard Sanji speak, "Stop drooling, bastard! Your saliva might infect me even more and let you fuck me right this instant."

He shut his mouth and then, it hit him. Sanji was flirting with him and he did not even notice immediately. "Cook, don't tempt me. I may have control now, but you're taking it away."

"I was not tempting you earlier," Sanji purred, wiping his eyes with his free hand, his demeanor drastically changed, "but now, I think I am."

"Cook," Zoro growled, "I'm warning you."

Sanji grinned at him. It wasn't really a grin at all. It was like a mixture of a grimace and something he couldn't understand. Shit. The cook's not used to this kind of setup, but Zoro was practically drooling at the meal in front of him. Blonde ala mode. Damn, his lust filled fantasies were slowly being fulfilled and he was still drawing back because of course, the cook had his own monsters. He should not do this to him at all. This was unacceptable.

"Cook, don't make me do something to you that you would regret later." Zoro needed to lay out to Sanji that he _is_ going to do something that the cook had never have experienced in his entire existence.

"Is that a challenge, Marimo?" Now, Sanji was just mocking him.

It was funny because even though his grip had slackened, the cook did not show any intentions of leaving from their position at all. This was turning Zoro on and he had a little time left. Surely, someone would come up to check on Sanji or to change shifts with the cook.

Zoro let go of the remaining wrist of the cook and planted both of his hands, palms flat, on both sides of the cook's chest. "I'm going to taint you in the worst way possible cook, and don't you dare tell me that I didn't warn you."

"It's my prerogative, Marimo. You don't get to tell me what or what not to do."

Zoro found himself questioning about what was happening and what was about to happen. He was about to burst in excitement and agony. Was this really happening? Was Sanji really giving himself to him?

"Oi, Earth to Marimo." Sanji lightly pat his cheek to break him from his reverie.

Zoro blinked and focused his gaze again. He smiled and... Okay, this was really something. He had to get his bearings because he would be seeing this side of the cook and it was something that he was _really_ happy in seeing. He dipped his face low and let his control go. His lips brushed lightly on soft ones and they tasted sweet and had a little tang. Just as he expected since the cook just drank wine. Speaking of wine... he turned his gaze to where he had grabbed Sanji from and saw that the wine bottle had tipped over and its contents had already formed a puddle around it. His sake had the same fate as well. Oh, well.

When he looked back at Sanji, the man's eyes were still half-lidded and hazy. He had to smile at that. "Fuck, Sanji, you'll be the death of me!" he murmured while brushing his fingers in the golden crown of the cook.

"C'mere." Sanji urged him to kiss him again, gripping his shirt and pulling him closer. Damn, he wouldn't say no to that. Not since he had been waiting for this moment his entire existence.

He went back and kissed Sanji, a little deeper this time. He licked the cook's lower lip, bit it with just a little pressure and sucked it, causing the cook to moan. God, that was music to his ears, going straight to his groin.

Ever piece of his soul was being taken from his body. As they kissed sensually, tongues rolling over each other, Zoro could not stop himself from groaning. Shit, he had never thought that kissing the cook this way was this _erotic_. Yes, he had kissed the cook once, but this was different. This was _special._ He wanted to savor every taste that he could get. Fuck, he was getting so obsessed.

Suddenly, his conscience nagged at him. He can't do this to the cook. Sanji already had a traumatic experience as a child. He had to stop himself right this instant. "Sanji," he breathed, pulling away from the other man, "we can't."

 _Damnit!_

Sanji unexpectedly looked dejected at what he had said and done. "Fucker! What is _wrong_ with you?!" The blonde sat up as he exclaimed. "I don't get you most of the time, but this is beyond what I am used to! You're acting all weird." He crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for Zoro to answer him.

His libido was beckoning him to continue what he had started, but as a swordsman, his mind was always over other matters at hand. He should think clearly all of the time, and this was putting his control to the test. Exhaling slowly, he focused on other things, particularly Sanji's near-molested experience. "I can't guarantee that I would not be hard on you, and I don't want to scare you at all."

"Tch! You don't scare me even if you wanted to, moron." Sanji vehemently retorted, his arms still crossed and irritation painted on his face.

The cook didn't understand at all. Zoro wanted this, but he was adamant. He wanted their first experience to be something worth keeping. To be honest, Zoro was more afraid of hurting Sanji in the process. All of the books that he had read about sex was nothing close to what he desired to do with the cook. Mostly, their contents were about romancing women and Sanji was no woman. Yeah, he can be quite like a woman at times, especially when he bitched at him about food and liquor, but he could definitely shove his feet up in his ass if he did do something terrible. Rushing into things could turn it into a disaster, and that would be a bummer.

One more thing that Zoro was adamant about was reaching his dream. Now that he learned that he still needed to improve his skills, whether observation or fighting, he had to be level-headed. Focus and control are relative. If he entered into a relationship with right now, he didn't know what would happen.

"I like you a lot. But, you don't know what you're getting into."

Sanji glowered at him. "Don't you _dare_ tell me that now, shithead! I'm completely aware of what would happen if I were to do this with you!"

"Uh, guys?"

They both turned around at the sound. Usopp was staring at them with incredulous eyes. "Were you fighting with Zoro instead of taking watch this entire time, Sanji?"

 _What the fuck?_ Did Usopp hear their entire conversation?

He shook his head. "I'm going. Just think about it until tomorrow."

He left the crow's nest after picking up his towel, without looking back. He could hear Usopp and Sanji talking, but he was unaware of what it was about.

[-]

The following day dragged on, oh so slowly. Breakfast was a bit tense. Zoro slept by the mast instead of the boy's quarters and now had a cold. He never got sick, but now he was. He sniffed during the entire meal, and received a pissed off look from Nami.

After breakfast, Chopper took him to the sick bay and got his vitals. He learned that he had a slight case of flu. "Just drink plenty of water, and take this medicine every four hours. This'll get you better in no time." Chopper handed him a bottle of tablets before he left.

He hated being fussed over. He hated going to the infirmary. He hated looking weak. And now, it was happening all over again. Because of this, he continued to push himself harder.

Come lunch, his cold just got worse. He was now coughing and his throat was on fire. Chopper told him that he must take a rest from training, but he was stubborn as fuck.

By dinner, he felt a bit cold, but the temperature, according to the witch, was _just wonderful_ and it deeply sickened him on how she had said the words. The cook started nosebleeding because of that and it just got him more irritated than anything else. He walked out and went to the post just around the bend from the galley. All he could do was close his eyes and sleep. Sleeping would probably do him some good.

[-]

The night was hot. It was like they were back in Alabasta. But, scanning his surroundings, he could see that he was not in Alabasta at all. There was fine powder falling down from the moonless sky and when he caught a few on his palms, he realized that it was not powder at all. It was ash. Ashes were falling in the dead of the night, slowly piling on the ground around him. That's when it hit him: he was aboard Thousand Sunny, the familiar woodwork of Adam wood was slightly singed on his side of the ship.

He looked around and could not find any trace of his crew mates; not even Luffy's boisterous voice could be heard. Where were they? More importantly, what had happened?

His heart pounded angrily in his chest. He had to find the others if he wanted all of them to make it out alive. He gripped the hilt of one of his swords while he ran around the ship. He went to the boys' quarters, but no one was there. He went to the galley, but the cook was not there as well. He tried the other rooms along with the crow's nest, still he could not find any of them. He ran all around, shouting every crew's name, just to make sure he did not skip any room, but he finally concluded that he was the only one aboard.

He went off the ship and scanned the whole area where he was. It was a deserted island, he was sure of it. There were trees, but other than that, it was bare. Zoro was unnerved by the eerie silence. It was too quiet that it was just plain spooky. That was when he found the source of the ashes. Dark smoke was swirling upwards a few meters ahead. When he rounded a corner, there he saw something that caused him to choke on his saliva. In the clearing, the entire crew was tied on different poles, being burned alive, but they were still and silent. Even Luffy, Chopper, Brook, and Robin were unable to escape with their abilities. Unfortunately, whoever their captors were, they were thorough. They used seastone cuffs to bind the devil fruit users.

He searched for the cook and when he did find him, his vision became blurry. Those blue eyes were pleading, mutely asking him to untie him from his bindings. He was a disaster, broken and bleeding. Sanji's legs were sawed, cut and detached from his lithe body. Zoro screamed, the gurgling sound echoing until he woke up with hands tapping him on the shoulder lightly, but with urgency.

"Zoro! Oi, Zoro, wake up!"

His eyes flew open and his brown eyes met blue ones. His arms instantly wound themselves, wrapping them around the cook's body. "You're alive. You're okay." His breathing was shallow; voice hoarse.

Sanji did not ask him anything. The cook just settled him down, not letting go of him. He wanted to cry and scream. He wanted to thank the heavens that it was only a nightmare; a nightmare that he did not want to have again. Seeing Sanji whole and not bleeding was relieving. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if something that terrible would have happened. The cook's legs were his weapons, and taking them from him was a sin.

"You can tell me what happened," Sanji's voice was soothing.

He buried his face in the crook of Sanji's neck and while shaking, he recounted the events that happened in the Gehenna that was his dream. When he was finished, Sanji cupped his face with deft hands and made him look at the blonde.

"I won't fail that easily. _We_ won't fail that easily. We would fight until we get exhausted; until our enemies die. Not the other way around. Keep that in mind, Marimo." Sanji then kissed him, chaste at first before it deepened.

Kissing turned into touching. Touching turned into groping and grinding on each other's body. Their breaths mingling as they deepened their kiss, void of continence. Zoro placed his hand on the small of Sanji's back while the blonde tangled his fingers in Zoro's hair.

There was no turning back this time. Zoro was tired of his pretenses. He was going to let go, totally submitting himself to Sanji. He did not want to lose the opportunity to love the cook just because of all his insecurities.

He groaned when Sanji ghosted a hand over his hard on. When did he get hard? Oh, and now Sanji was rubbing it over his pants with just the right pressure. _Damn, that's really good_. He was going to do it with the cook, finally.

"You like that, Marimo?" Sanji teased in between kisses.

"Uhuh." He replied, unable to give something coherent.

"Where do you suppose we could do this without anyone catching us?" Sanji asked. He was not afraid at all. He was merely curious.

[-]

They ended up in the infirmary's locked doors. Since Zoro was sick, Chopper gave him access to the room and bed. As a doctor, he knew that peace and quiet were important to his patients.

They didn't dally. Clothes were strewn, discarded without second thoughts. It was the first time Zoro saw the cook's entire body. He had to drink in _everything_. At first, he thought that the cook was only... bones, no pun intended to Brook. But, he was wrong! The cook's body was _freakishly hot_! Maybe that was the product of fighting, and it was such a turn on.

"You like what you see, shitty Marimo?" Though he knew Sanji was making fun of him, he was now finding the nickname endearing.

"Very much so," Zoro answered truthfully, still watching intently as the cook laid down on the bed. If he were the cook, he knew that he probably would have had a nosebleed already.

"Well? Come here, you blasted moss-head," Sanji beckoned, patting the empty space on the bed.

He walked towards the bed and gulped. Shit. He was not sure of what to do. He had a lubricant ready in his pocket, but was a bit apprehensive. Was Sanji really ready for this? What if he made a wrong move?

"Oi, don't make that face. You look like you're about to dissect me."

"Uh," Zoro started, " I don't mean to shock you, but..." he paused. How the fuck he should say this?

"You're a virgin?" Sanji asked, and with the way he flinched answered the question. "I am, too. Means we're even."

Zoro straddled the blonde after some more coaxing and nipped his earlobe, causing the blonde to moan. The sound went straight to his groin and had to grind his thigh on the blonde's growing erection. In return, Sanji whined, enough for the entire ship to hear him. "Damn, cook. Don't be so loud!" Zoro hushed him, but still continued to rub Sanji's erection.

They continued in relative silence, with only a few grunts here and there. Zoro fisted his hand around Sanji's dick and there it all started. As they kissed, tongues lapping, he pumped the other leisurely, running his thumb on the head - smearing pre-cum. Sanji pulled away from their kiss and planted his forehead on Zoro's. "How are we going to do this?" he breathed, biting his lower lip to contain his moans as Zoro carried on pumping him.

Before answering though, Zoro looked away and sneezed. "Shit. I still have a cold."

"I'll fix you some chicken soup later," Sanji cooed. "But answer my question first."

Instead of answering, Zoro let go of the cook, much to his, and Sanji's, disappointment, and went to where his clothes were piled and produced the lubricant that he nicked from one of the islands that they've been to. "Me or you?"

Sanji seemed to contemplate at that before he shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I'd rather be laying down here and make you do all the work though." The cook waggled his eyebrows and smirked.

The smirk that the cook gave him made him giddy. Weird. "Okay. Since we're both new at this and... you have your demons, we'll have a test of trust."

"Huh?" Sanji was confused; however, when he untied his bandanna from his arm, the confusion turned into comprehension. "Oh. Okay. I get it."

"Just tell me when to stop. I don't want to put pressure on you," Zoro murmured as he tied the bandanna to cover the cook's eyes.

"I'm not a child, stupid. I can handle this," Sanji muttered, earning him a soft chuckle from the swordsman.

Zoro took his time in adoring the cook's body. He splayed his hands on Sanji's chest and gradually mapping it, memorizing its curves and strength. He explored all the territories that he had yet gone to. He flicked a nipple with his thumb and Sanji moaned yet again, enjoying the effect that he had on the cook. He went to the other one and did the same, gaining the same effect. He dipped low, tracing the milky white skin with his tongue, leaving traces of wetness, slowly going south.

Sanji grabbed a fistful of hair when he nipped on his hipbone, moaning aloud. "God! That's..." Sanji said incoherently.

Zoro understood right then that he had found one of the cook's erogenous zones. He noted it down on the back of his head and continued to explore.

He licked and sucked on the cook's navel, going down the thin mound of hair. He breathed in the musky scent, making his dick twitch. Whoa. That's a kink right there. And then his mouth met Sanji's dick.

Every now and then, he licked the swollen head, spreading saliva and pre-cum; moving around to lick at the sides. Eventually, he took in everything, swallowing around it as he gently massaged Sanji in the skin between his ass and balls. Every touch - everything his hands and mouth came in contact with earned him moans and whines from the cook. He could even feel Sanji's dick twitch in his mouth as he groaned around it.

"Oh, God! Zoro, just fuck me already!"

Since that was a go signal, he let go of the cook's dick from his mouth with a quiet popping sound and grabbed the lubricant from where he put it and smeared a lot of it on his fingers, all the information that he had gathered from the books that he had read were running in his head.

When he put in a slick finger in the cook's hole, Sanji hissed. "Shit. Was that too fast?" Zoro stilled and waited for a word from the cook.

"It's just... Okay, you can proceed." Sanji said as he slowly relaxed.

He continued where he had left off, making in and out motions with his finger. He added another one, scissoring Sanji's hole until he was sure that he prepped him properly. He curled both of his fingers and the cook suddenly moaned, _aloud_!

"Oh, there it is," Zoro excitedly said, amazed at his discovery.

Sanji took off his blindfold and watched as Zoro diligently hit his prostate with his fingers. When Zoro realized that Sanji was watching him, he smiled as the blonde took his breath away once again. He was beautiful with those lust filled eyes, as his fringe was no more covering the other.

"I- I'm ready, Marimo."

He did not need to be told twice. He removed his fingers from Sanji's and squeezed some more lubricant on his hands and rubbed himself off.

He angled himself in front of the cook's asshole and looked up. With his hands on both sides of Sanji's waist, he could feel the cook shiver. "Are you sure? I'm not really in a rush to take you. I can wait."

"Don't be sappy, shithead. I will take you if you don't do me now." He hooked his legs around Zoro's waist and pulled the swordsman to him.

Zoro groaned. "Alright, cook." And with one thrust, he sank into Sanji, taking him in like alcohol.

The sensation was amazing, for the lack of a better word. The heat that was surrounding his dick was goddamn fantastic. He just could not find anything to compare it with because... well.

He could not stop his hips from moving now that he was in, and everything was so tight and warm that he was afraid that he might not last long. His mind was getting hazy and he could not avoid to move in a faster pace. Sweat was forming beads on his temple in the action.

All the inhibitions that he kept on keeping were now shattered, breaking like a dam. Every thrust was tearing down his reason. He was riding on a roller coaster, his insides coiling like a boa constrictor.

"Zoro..." Sanji whispered his name breathlessly.

He looked at the cook and he moved closer to kiss him, swallowing the curse that almost came when he hit Sanji's prostate in the change of angle.

"Don't stop doing that," Sanji moaned in between kisses, arms wrapping themselves on his neck.

The bed creaked a little as Zoro rocked back and forth into Sanji.

"God, Sanji... You're wonderful." Zoro purred, too entranced with all of the foreign sensations.

Moments later, Zoro felt himself shudder, making it hard for him to breathe; a groan escaped his lips making his grip on Sanji's waist tighten. He was getting close. He let one of his hands go from the cook's waist and stroked the other's dick. A couple more thrusts and he felt himself jerk, his vision fading to black - making him have a hard time concentrating on Sanji's dick.

Seconds after his own release, Sanji's dick pulsed in his hands and shot release onto his chest and the cook's stomach, a string of expletives left the cook's mouth as it happened.

He slumped down on the cook's body and buried his face in the mass of Sanji's golden crown once they were both done. "That was... yeah."

"Uhuh." Sanji sighed, too exhausted to reply.

All of Zoro's brain functions had stopped. He did not know how to explain what he was feeling right then. He was all blissed out from the experience.

They untangled themselves from each other after some time, feeling sticky from their mess. "Ugh, I need a bath," Sanji muttered, grabbing some tissue from one of the drawers near the bed. He cleaned himself and Zoro before the latter moved to keep himself cozy.

Zoro, sprawled on the bed, was too tired and lazy to get up. "Do I still have a fever?"

Sanji sighed and stood up from the bed. It seemed that he had forgotten that he was sick. "Do you know where the thermometer is?" he asked as he looked around Chopper's desk.

"Uh," Zoro thought. "I'm not sure."

[-]

After checking Zoro's temperature, Sanji announced that he did not have a fever anymore, but since he was a cook after all, he fixed Zoro the chicken soup that he had promised. However, that was after they took a quick shower together.

Sanji sat across Zoro in the galley as he sipped the hot soup. A couple more sips and Sanji broke their silence. "How's it?"

Zoro didn't glance at the cook when he answered, "It's really good. Just like always." He knew that his ears were reddening. He had never told the cook how much he enjoyed the food that he prepares for them.

"Wow. I never knew that you knew how to compliment the chef." He could hear the smirk in Sanji's response.

"Huh." He had no retort for that remark, but it carried him back to when they first met. Back at Baratie. "Do you remember how we got you from that restaurant of yours?"

 **TBC**

* * *

A/N:

1\. Not proof-read. I didn't have time to. There may be grammatical errors, forgive me.

2\. I hope the smut parts were okay. *cringes*

3\. Please tell me what you thought about this chapter?


	10. The Beginning

Baratie is a floating restaurant, quite a large ship really, which is known for its fancy and tasty food. It is one of the famous restaurants around Grand Line. If you were to travel around the world to find the greatest treasure a pirate could get in the seas (or even if you're just a normal person traveling), you'd be stupid not to taste their fine dishes. As the sous-chef of this restaurant, Sanji ensured the quality was served to their customers, especially his lovely ladies. Zeff, the head chef, was once a pirate that, despite what he thought about rich people and all that, he still saved Sanji from the unfortunate happening in The Orbit. Though Sanji still hated the head chef's attitude towards him, he wanted to show the old geezer that he was capable and deserving of his title.

Just then, he heard shouting in the kitchen and it irritated him that two of the chefs of the floating restaurant were fighting about the food to serve the other customers. "Idiots", he muttered under his breath. He slipped away and went out to smoke in peace. He ran his unoccupied hand through his hair as he looked at the ocean, puffing his cigarette once in a while. The beauty of the water still was captivating to him, especially as it glittered in the horizon. His heart skipped a bit when he saw a pirate ship, well, not really a _ship_ per say, but it was like it anyway. He hated pirates, especially when they pick up a fight in Baratie, but this time, he was not annoyed. In fact, he felt something tug in the deepest parts of his being, as if that certain ship was pulling him closer to something. He could not understand it, but there was _something_.

He headed back to the kitchen after stubbing out his smoke and throwing the cigarette butt in the nearest trash bin. Knowing that the next customer that he was going to serve was a shithead, he had to compose himself and act calm. It's not every day that they would serve a marine. And, everytime they served one, it was either stupid or unfriendly. This time, Sanji was sure that Fullbody, a marine lieutenant, was not smart or friendly in any way. He knew, from what the other chefs had said about the marine lieutenant that he was not easy to deal with; always asking for demands and making himself look like he was in charge of everything that was going on around him. In other words, he was using his position to do wrong to others.

He grabbed the dish that the shithead ordered and the wine that suited best for it. After all, he was not the sous-chef for nothing. He fixed his posture, wine on his left hand and the food on his right then he exited the kitchen and went to the table where, he noticed, the marine was sitting at with a gorgeous woman. Such a sight that he did not want to see at that moment. He hated men that didn't know how to treat women, and this man was no exception. Perhaps he was not good, but he was better than all of those men.

Well, enough of that shit. He didn't want to remember that part though. He wanted to remember how he met the crew and how he fell for Zoro (not maybe fell in love, but he definitely saw something in those dark eyes that made him feel _something_ for the green-haired swordsman). Of course, at first, he had his eyes on Nami. Who wouldn't? She was like a goddess that fell from the sky. But then, there was this green-haired boy that was exotic looking. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could not help but notice something darn beautiful in him that even though he fawned over Nami, he still could not erase the man's face from his thoughts.

"I hated it, Zoro," Sanji said, his mouth turning into a frown as he recalled Zoro's fight against Dracule Mihawk. "That time when you told me that you did not regard yourself anymore, since wanting to be the greatest swordsman. I thought that you were not that serious, but…" Sanji's voice faltered. He still could remember how Zoro challenged Mihawk; how he wanted to die instead of facing defeat. "I could not believe what you did then. I could not understand _why_ you chose to die instead."

"But you knew then that I wanted to defeat Mihawk," Zoro said softly, putting down the spoon in the empty soup bowl. "You knew that I was 's the honor to die in a fight than lose."

Sanji shifted his weight on his seat, schooling his face in neutral. He didn't know that he would be in such pain after… _sex_. Shit. Well, it was worth it though. He had no idea that doing something intimate like that with Zoro was _possible._ "I wanted you to just let it go; to let your dream go," he put his palm on air to stop Zoro from speaking, "I know that it was stupid to think that way. But I already dismissed the thought of looking for All Blue then. I thought that you should, too, knowing that Mihawk would only defeat you.

"But you did not change your mind. You still wanted to defeat him. And that may be the reason why I decided to follow my dream and look for All Blue. I know my dream isn't much of a dream just like yours, Luffy's, or anyone else's in this ship, but it's nice to know that everyone is supporting me."

"At least, yours doesn't have to seek death in order to conquer it. But that's beside the point anyway," Zoro said, dismissing the topic altogether. "Are you sleepy, cook?" Zoro inquired, seeing the blonde's facial expression, though it was far from sleepy than squeamish; however, Zoro did not need to know about that.

"Nah. I'll just fix this and I'll go to sleep. You should go, now, I guess." Sanji said, uncertain.

What did lovers do after doing something that intimate anyway?

Sanji sighed as Zoro stood up and kissed his forehead, then left the galley. He was inexperienced as it is and he did not want to ruin what he and Zoro might have at this point.

He closed his eyes after washing the dishes. Everything went back to the past, eh? Lies and truths were hidden in Zoro's poker face and no one, except the people that he was close with would know what was running in that moss-head's brain. However, until now, he was unclear of how Zoro thought about things. But, for now, he'll let his heart run for him. Like a supernova, light burst into the darkness of his heart in the form of Zoro.

After sometime, he decided to head back. He slowly trekked towards the boy's quarters, trying his best to endure the pain. The sole of his shoes tap-tapped on the floor as he walked on the Adam wood. The breeze picked up, ruffling his hair slightly, and it was such a good night to sleep, but he was unsure if he would be able to sleep properly though.

He quietly slipped in and was astonished to find the swordsman sleeping in his hammock, snoring. "Oi, Zoro, what the hell are you doing there?" He tapped the Marimo's shoulder to wake him, but he had a hard time since the other was tired _and sick_. Oh, whatever, he could squeeze himself in the hammock anyway, even with the brute there.

[-]

When Sanji woke up, the following day, he was caught off guard as two curious heads were staring at him, and Zoro, too near for it to be healthy. "Wh'dyou want?" he grumbled, turning his back on the two and scooted closer to the green-haired swordsman who was still snoring.

He didn't care anymore whether everyone in Thousand Sunny knew about his relationship with Zoro. He was still overwhelmed that he could only think about what the future had in store for the both of them. Whatever Zoro wanted to do with their relationship, he would see where it would lead them. After all, he loved the idiot already. God, why was he a hopeless romantic?

He was in too deep and he was certain that at some point, he would come crashing down without anyone to save him. But that did not mean that he would back down from this _fight_. He was tougher than that. He was Black Leg Sanji after all.

"Why is Zoro sleeping with you?" Usopp asked, eyeballing them.

"You- you and Zoro?" Chopper squeaked, like a frightened mouse, his eyes filled with curiosity.

A chuckle escaped his lips as he listened to the two curious boys. "Yes, Chopper, Zoro and I."

He kneaded Zoro's back absently with his palms, a little afraid of what the boys would say. He was grateful that he did not need to convince the two to like their relationship. Thankfully, instead of being negative about it, they too were glad that they were now together. It amazed him how open his crew mates were about this kind of affair.

But, it's going to take some time for him to get used to this though.

He gently eased himself off the hammock, making it swivel slightly, but thankfully, it did not wake the Marimo up. "What do you guys want for breakfast?" He asked as he fixed his collar and sleeves; combing his hair with his fingers afterwards.

"Anything would do, Sanji," Usopp said.

"Yeah, anything. And maybe some hot chocolate?" Chopper's eyes sparkled at his request.

The two followed Sanji outside and they went on their separate ways; Sanji going to the galley while the younger ones went to the lawn deck.

Sanji fixed himself a cup of newly brewed coffee before he started planning breakfast. He moved around the counter, looking for ingredients for pancakes and hot chocolate. Okay, since Chopper did not often request food for him, he decided to give the kid what he wanted. He grabbed the box of flour and the bag of sugar from the upper part of the cupboard, and a carton of milk, some eggs and butter from the refrigerator and started preparing his dish. He whisked and sprinkled all of the ingredients in fluid motions. He let himself be engrossed in what he was doing, humming a tune in the process. Cooking was really something that he could always enjoy and frankly, he was always relaxed whenever he cooked.

After mixing all of the ingredients properly, Sanji poured the batter into pre-heated non-stick pan (that he just bought a few months back) with the right amount of oil. He continued to hum, a different tune this time, and moved his hips to the melody. What's good in being flexible if he didn't know how to dance, eh?

His concentration was broken though, while he was in the middle of plating the pancakes. Heavy thump-thumping of footsteps came into the galley. He did not need to look up to know who it was. He breathed heavily and tried his best to ignore the person that entered, but it was useless. The heady aroma of lust and sex was in the air. He gulped as he felt the person coming closer to his personal space. His fingers were trembling as he placed the final touches to the pancakes. Was it because of anxiety? Was it because of anticipation? The noisy pounding of his heart was holding some kind of expectation and was carrying pent up and endless amount of various feelings.

Sanji did not know that he was shaking until Zoro came up behind him and put his arms around his lover. "Are you sick? Was I too rough last night?" Zoro asked, his voice husky and filled with… _lust_.

He cleared his throat, but came up empty. He had no idea what to say. He was not sick and Zoro was not rough at all then, but… Oh, shit. He could feel his arousal tenting the front of his pants. He had to hide himself. He did not want Zoro to think that he had a real good time last night… and that he wanted another round this time. Even though his ass was still throbbing, he wanted it again. Fuck.

He froze when Zoro brushed a finger on his jaw. It was gentle, but it sent different kinds of signals to his brain (and down south). "Cook…" God. He had never thought that the nickname would arouse him, but it did. The way that Zoro whispered his name held all the promises of good things; of the things he wanted to do to him.

"Yeah?" Sanji asked, his voice hoarse and shaky. What the hell? He was really, really horny now, and it was barely ten in the morning!

Zoro propped his chin on Sanji's shoulder. "I don't know about you, but I could use another dose of what we had last night..." He sounded needy.

Damn. Zoro moved his head a bit and kissed under his ear, and that was such a turn on. He could feel himself heat up at Zoro's words. Probably, he was beet red right now. He should not give in, yet, though. At least, he could still wait until they have had their breakfast.

"Hands off, Marimo," he slapped Zoro's forehead lightly. "Breakfast first, before anything else." He had to move away. He didn't want the moss-head think that he was easy to get because a few more prompts and he might give in. Like hell he would let Zoro win.

ast first before anything else." He had to move away. He didn't want the moss-head to think that he was easy to get because a few more prompts and he might give in. Like hell he would let Zoro win.

[-]

"Namiiii~" Sanji greeted his mellorine lovingly, his eyes turn into hearts a bit, ignoring the way Zoro was seething in his seat. "Here's your chocolate banana pancake with fresh honey.

"Thank you, Sanji," Nami smiled at the cook, which almost caused Sanji to have a nosebleed. Thankfully, Luffy got in the way. He was about to take a piece from Nami's plate when Sanji noticed, kicking his captain.

"You're going to wait until I give yours, Luffy! Ladies first!" He handed Robin's plate with a flourish, earning him a silent laugh from the historian.

"Thank you." Robin said, smiling at him mischievously.

It seemed that Robin knew something, but he had no way to ponder about that thought as Luffy flung himself to him, blabbering about not being fed even though he was the captain. "Sanjiiii, I am the captain! Why do I not get served immediately?"

Sanji, and even half of the crew, rolled their eyes and said, "If I fed you now, you'd take the others' food if you're still not satisfied, and they would not be nourished because of you!"

"But, Sanji!" Luffy whined like a kid that he was. His eyes were pleading, but Sanji wouldn't budge.

"Get off me, you leech of a captain. Wait for your turn." With that, he pulled Luffy away from him and continued to serve the crew.

Breakfast was noisy and lively, as usual. The rowdies of the group, namely Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper kept on playing with their chopsticks, not bothering to be pleasant as they put each stick in their nostrils. Nami had no other choice but to let the three idiots to continue since they didn't not even listen, even though Nami already hit them on the head. Sanji didn't even understand why they used chopsticks when their food was not rice or noodles! And, where the hell did they even get those chopsticks? Did they raid his galley when he was not looking? Fuckers.

Sanji ate in silence. He avoided the gaze of a certain swordsman who kept on nudging his knees with his own. Zoro was hinting about what he wanted to do with Sanji. He knew what Zoro wanted. He wanted what the damn swordsman wanted, too. Shit. He was heating up and he could barely avert his attention from Robin who was still smiling mischievously. What did she know? This was killing him slowly, knowing that Robin was the person that often knew a lot of things that most people would not notice.

Sanji had been looking at Zoro through his peripheral vision. He didn't know how much time had passed; however, it felt like forever. Everything is still confusing, Sanji mused, but I like it.

As he thought about Zoro, he suddenly remembered the green-haired swordsman's fight with Mihawk. Dracule Mihawk, with his shoulder length black hair underneath the ridiculous wide-brimmed black hat that was decorated with a large plume, eyes that were like a hawk's, and a long open black coat (which Sanji thought was doing nothing to cover himself up) just agreed to Zoro's challenge. Zoro, who was then full of himself, was able to convince the greatest swordsman to fight him for his title. At first, Sanji thought that the swordsman was going to fight Zoro with his large sword that he was carrying on his back, but to his surprise (and horror), Mihawk used a penknife that he produced from the cross pendant of his necklace! The fucker was mocking Zoro.

This irked his curiosity. He hadn't seen Zoro fight yet. He wanted to see how well the moss-head would fight with the famous swordsman. His heart was thumping ridiculously fast in its cage as he watched. Nevertheless, the fight didn't even last long. His eye, which was not hidden, widened when Zoro still stood his ground even though he was cut by the penknife. Sanji didn't know what had happened, but Dracule Mihawk suddenly wielded his sword from his back. Zoro, with three swords drawn (fancy that, he had a sword in his mouth!), he attacked. As a viewer, Sanji had thought that Zoro had a chance, but… Mihawk tore open Zoro's chest. Just a flick of Mihawk's enormous sword and Zoro's swords became useless. He almost lost his cigarette when his mouth opened wide along with his eyes at the sight.

Right then, he realized that that was his weakness. He didn't know why, but Zoro's life was important to him. Something in his heart was always in pain when Zoro was hurt. It ached to see Zoro suffer whether it was from a challenge or a fight, but he knew deep in his heart that Zoro was, and will always be, an inevitable part of his life. It was like their souls were connected at one point. It was, Sanji cringed, like they were soulmates.

When breakfast was done and Sanji was about to wash the dishes, he was blocked by Robin. "I'll wash the dishes for now. Let yourself be acquainted," she said knowingly.

"Wha-?" Sanji started. What the heck did Robin know?

"Sorry," Robin apologized, but she didn't seem sorry at all, "I kind of seen some of it." Robin didn't even blush at the confession. "You weren't exactly quiet, you know." There was laughter in her voice, and Sanji had to blush. Yes, he was the one that blushed instead of the historian.

"Robin, what are you talking about?" Sanji tried to hide his embarrassment, but it was no use. His ears already betrayed him.

"No need, Sanji, to think about what I'm talking about. You'll understand later," Robin answered. "For now, he's waiting." She winked at him as she waved at him to leave.

When he just stared at her while gaping, he was suddenly ushered by disembodied limbs to get out of the galley. God, he had to get a grip of himself.

[-]

Zoro cornered him outside the aquarium bar and Sanji almost shrieked in shock. He did not see the Marimo or sense him for that matter. He was going to get some fish for lunch and decided that he would not be able to get a fresh catch at the moment, and thanked Franky in his mind that he thought of making the aquarium. It was easy for him to get something that he wanted to cook without asking the idiots to fish for him. But at that very moment, it seemed that he was like a fish that was caught off guard by its predator.

"Cook…" Zoro sighed, blocking his path with his hands as he grabbed hold of Sanji's hair and waist respectively. "I have been a good boy, and waited."

Sanji tried to squirm, but his efforts were useless. He was melting under Zoro's heated gaze. Entranced by Zoro's eyes and breath, his giddy brain took off on its own. He leaned in and let Zoro guide their kiss. He could taste the bitterness of beer in the corner of Zoro's lips, but there's nothing new with that. As their kiss deepened, he could vaguely hear the sails flapping and rustling against the wind overhead. Then, the noise aboard increased. The younger ones were running about and playing, and Luffy was shouting at them for cheating. He sighed as Zoro let go of him.

"Get in," Zoro ordered, pushing him in the aquarium bar. "Unless, you want them to see you naked?"

The suggestiveness in Zoro's voice was enough to allow himself be ushered in the room. The lights in the aquarium bar were dim making everything inside seem blue. It was as if they were under the ocean. After locking the door, Zoro gripped Sanji by the shoulders and continued to kiss him. Their lips connected with a spark and Sanji felt his skin tingle in every breath that he took. He was aware of Zoro's muscles as it flexed underneath the white shirt that he was wearing, and he had to struggle to forget (or maybe not) the mental images of the nakedness that Zoro had showed him last night.

"Zoro," Sanji whined. He needed more than kiss at this moment. He wanted more from the swordsman, and he did not want to wait any longer. Perhaps it was because of the touches that Zoro was giving him. The strong hands running on the small of his back and shoulders were like electricity that was now running in his veins.

Zoro didn't wait for more prompting. He untangled himself from the cook and took off his shirt, showing the bulging muscles of his shoulders and pectorals. And Sanji could just run his hands over those abs! Heat was still radiating from the swordsman and Sanji had to lick his lips that were becoming dry. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned his dress shirt, putting it neatly on the sofa. When they were already both buck naked, Zoro didn't waste time. He planted kisses on Sanji's skin, making him stumble to a halt. Sanji was gently being pushed to the sofa and was laid down by Zoro, facing him.

There was passion in Zoro's eyes as he took in Sanji's features. "Sanji, I love you, you know that. I'd do everything to protect you."

"Asshole, I can protect myself," Sanji said, looking away. Of course, Zoro would want to protect him. He had every right. He was his boy friend after all. But, he was stronger now than he was before.

"Damn, cook," Zoro grumbled, "I'm being honest with myself and you're messing with my feelings."

Sanji had to laugh at that. Zoro, often quiet and never expressive, was wooing him. God, if only the others knew this side of Zoro's, they would probably think that they were hallucinating. But this was _his_ Zoro, and he would never let him go.

When his laughter subsided, he motioned with his fingers to let Zoro know that he wanted him by his side, or on top of him. "Sorry," he whispered when Zoro was already laying on his bare chest, "I know where you're coming from, but I'm definitely stronger now. You don't have to protect me."

Zoro huffed, but Sanji knew that the swordsman understood his feelings. He would protect him if it was needed, but he didn't have to be a damsel in distress all the time. Fighting was in his blood, too. If the tables were turned, he would protect Zoro as well.

Sanji kissed Zoro on his ear and when he lifted his lips, the golden earrings that the swordsman sported chimed softly. "I love you, too, Marimo," Sanji sighed sweetly.

Zoro pushed himself up and looked at him. "Well, now that it's clear, can I fuck you now?"

"Oh," Sanji said quietly, but giddily, "Okay."

Zoro's kisses were languid as he eased himself in Sanji. Unlike last night, there was little pain when Zoro entered him. He was more aware of the fact that this was _really_ good. Zoro's lips were like an aphrodisiac making its way to his blood. His motions were stimulating the depths of his inner being. As Zoro moved above him, sheen of sweat made its way from his temples to his chest, coating his body with slickness. If before Sanji was bothered by this, he was not at the moment.

He was busy bucking underneath the swordsman's body, following the rhythm that Zoro had set. He wanted to suppress the moans that were coming from him, but he couldn't. He chanted Zoro's name on and on as they made love in the bluish light of the aquarium bar. The semi-crimson cloth that covered the sofa would probably be deep red by now due to their sweat, but it didn't matter then.

Sanji could feel himself writhe. His orgasm was close and he wanted to wait for Zoro. He wanted the swordsman to be the first to come. But of course, who was he kidding? He was not yet practiced in this sort of intimacy and while he wanted to last longer, his orgasm was bubbling up, making him quiver. "Zoro…" he moaned. "More." His eyes were dampening as he tried his best to hold off, but alas, his mind was becoming woozy. He shuddered and then, he blacked out.

[-]

He grunted awake when he felt Zoro pinning him down on the bed. The fucker was too heavy. He lifted his arm and bumped his shoulder on the other man. Wait, they were not in bed! Sanji realized that they were still in the aquarium bar and it was not evening yet… Well, he hoped so.

Since almost the entire room made it seem like they were underwater, his sense of time was a bit lacking at this hour. He unconsciously rubbed the stubble that was showing on the swordsman's chin. Would the green-haired idiot look good with some facial hair? Sanji was curious. Maybe he should tell Zoro not to shave for a few days just to see. Yeah, maybe he would just do that.

He continued to gently caress Zoro while thinking of what to cook. He was not sure if Zoro were becoming sensitive to his touches, but the swordsman stirred and opened an eye. "Hey," Zoro murmured, bringing his arm around Sanji's waist, dragging the blonde back closer to his side. "You okay? You just passed out." Zoro voiced out his concern with warmth, his eyes narrowing.

Sanji shook his head before answering. "I'm fine. I was just overwhelmed."

Zoro hummed in understanding as he closed his eyes; arms still wrapped around Sanji's body. Sanji relaxed to the heat that the swordsman's body was emitting. A satisfied sigh left his lips when Zoro kissed his neck, bit it gently and lapped at it with his tongue. "Sorry," Zoro murmured.

The stillness of the room was only interrupted by the soft splashing of the sea creatures in the tank that surrounded them. "No worries." Sanji was really happy to be with Zoro. Content even. He never knew that he would be this happy with his sworn arch nemesis-slash-love of his life. His eyes darted aimlessly from here to there as Zoro continued to kiss and bite him. He wanted to know what was running in Zoro's mind; however, he was unsure if Zoro would answer him or not. His heart was racing three hundred miles per hour currently and he wanted to smack his face just to know if he were dreaming or not. Oh, yeah. A lot of ifs right now. Is he really content right now?

"Zoro…" Sanji whispered, barely audible against the covers.

"Hmm?" Zoro didn't look up, still busy with his activity.

Sanji stifled a moan as Zoro bit him again. "What's going to happen to us?" He asked when Zoro moved on to his shoulder.

Zoro stilled. "What do you mean?"

Sanji was a romantic. He loved everything about romance and flowery words that surrounded it. He loved the idea of love and he wanted to know whether Zoro would approve of him telling the entire ship about their relationship. He was happy with Zoro and he knew that traveling the seas would be difficult to find a steady lover and Zoro would be perfect for him. Not only they would have time with each other, they would also be fighting alongside one another. It was perfect. He did not have to worry about hurting a delicate flower at all!

His eyes drifted back to Zoro's hands. He shivered before he spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully, "Would you… Is it okay for you if… the rest knew about us?"

Zoro grinned against his skin as he answered, "Why would I not be?"

He wanted to jump right then and there. Zoro was alright with their relationship to be out in the open! God, but what about his mellorine? Surely she would be devastated about this news?

He was sadly disappointed when Sanji and Zoro told the news about their relationship. Firstly, Robin, Usopp and Chopper were delighted along Luffy who already had ideas about their relationship. Secondly, Brook and Franky guffawed when their thoughts about Zoro pining for Sanji's affection were true. Third, Nami, of all things beautiful became evil in actions when she slapped Sanji's and Zoro's shoulders respectively, telling them that she was happy for the both of them. Not only she was happy, but she was genuine in her feelings. She was not affected in the slightest, even knowing that Sanji might not be swooning over her any more than he did before.

Sanji chanced a look at Zoro. The swordsman was scratching the back of his neck while keeping his head down. He was not sure whether Zoro was regretting their decision about telling their relationship or whatever, but he didn't want to see Zoro uncomfortable. He touched the moss-head's elbow and murmured quietly, enough for only the both of them to hear, "Are you okay? You don't look so good."

Zoro shook his head and said, "Everything's alright."

[-]

Zoro did not disappoint Sanji. Months after they told the crew about their relationship, they were still together and currently were still bickering like school girls.

"I told you that Usopp broke the champagne glass not me!" Zoro explained for the nth time. He looked weary as he continued to keep his lover's anger at bay, not that he was doing any good at all.

Sanji sighed in frustration. "It's not a champagne glass! It's a champagne flute that I bought in the mainland just this week! It's expensive because the glass that they used was from North Blue and I don't know why, whoever broke it, they chose it instead of something useless!"

Zoro's voice was deep and rumbling when he grabbed a hold of the cook's wrists to stop him from thrashing about the kitchen. "I said, cook, that it's not me. It's Usopp. I have no plans in going to your bad side, knowing that it's your birthday."

Sanji almost squealed in delight. Zoro remembered his birthday! He didn't even tell Zoro that it was his birthday. Heck, he only celebrated his birthday alone, drinking and smoking in peace. No one in the ship knew about his birthday so, how did Zoro know about it?

He melted into Zoro's touch. "I'm sorry. I was just…" he stopped. He didn't want Zoro to know that he had been jealous of Zoro's attention. The swordsman had been busy with his workouts and this made them have less time with each other. But then, he saw Zoro speaking with Usopp in hushed tones earlier, it made him snap.

"I know. I'm sorry." Zoro looked apologetic enough. And sexy, too. Damn, that swordsman shouldn't be this sexy and enticing and everything. Right now, Zoro was not wearing his shirt and it was ruining Sanji's concentration. It seemed that he just finished training and sweat was trailing his bronze chest and well built curves. His mind was screaming at him while Zoro's body was mutely telling him to have sex _that instant_. "How can I make it up to you?"

Smile played on Sanji's lips. And just like that, Sanji knew that they would still have fun times ahead.

* * *

A/N:

1\. Not really proof read properly. Grammar mistakes inevitable.  
2\. For those who read this fic, thank you and I hope that you all think that I am a capable writer.  
3\. I have no idea when Thriller Bark happened so, I'm just guessing that it's March and that it's Sanji's birthday at the end of this fic. :D  
4\. Thanks for joining the ride.


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